Nigeria army 'retakes Chibok' from Boko Haram

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File photo: Police officers walking past the Chibok school where more than 200 schoolgirls were abducted by Boko Haram Islamists, 21 April 2014


The Nigerian army says it has recaptured the north-eastern town of Chibok, which was seized by Boko Haram militants on Thursday.
Boko Haram fighters kidnapped more than 200 schoolgirls from the village in April, sparking global outrage.
The group, which says it is fighting to create an Islamic state in Nigeria, has repeatedly targeted villages in Borno state in recent months.
There are reports of many Boko Haram members being killed in Sunday's raid.
Correspondents say Chibok was retaken late on Saturday, after dozens of military vehicles were seen heading to the village.
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A local vigilante force was part of the operation.
Will Ross: "The Nigerian military went to Chibok with a local vigilante group"
This was a joint operation by Nigerian soldiers with a large number of members of a local vigilante force. The success of the mission offers some hope of further success against the insurgents who have been seizing towns and villages in north-east Nigeria, often with little resistance.
The vigilantes would have been desperate to flush the jihadists out of the town and may have felt they had very little to lose by taking them on. A decision was clearly taken to retake Chibok as fast as possible. It is geographically no more significant than other towns and villages still in the hands of the jihadists but its name resonates around the world due to the tragedy of the 219 abducted school girls and so it was important for the government and military to win this battle.
Larger towns like Gwoza have been held by Boko Haram since August and it is surprising that there has not been more urgency to dislodge them from there. There has been a depressing diet of news from the north-east but the recapture of Chibok is a rare piece of good news from an area in crisis.
Still dangerous'
However, many residents say the jihadists still have a presence in the surrounding villages and so the area is not safe, our correspondent adds.
Many Chibok residents have moved to other parts of the country, fearing more attacks.\Last month, the group dismissed the government's claims to have agreed a ceasefire. The government had said the ceasefire would set the stage for the release of the Chibok schoolgirls.


Who are Boko Haram?
Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau has declared a caliphate in areas he controls
Founded in 2002
Initially focused on opposing Western education - Boko Haram means "Western education is forbidden" in the Hausa language
Launched military operations in 2009 to create Islamic state
Thousands killed, mostly in north-eastern Nigeria - also attacked police and UN headquarters in capital, Abuja
Some three million people affected
Declared terrorist group by US in 2013

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