The Boko Haram, an Islamic militant group, claimed responsibility for the killings of hundreds of people against the Nigerian government. Since 2009, they've killed more than 900 people, specifically targeting those in uniform. The Boko Haram is the representation of the Nigerians' anger at the Nigerian state, seen by the poor as the "purveyor of inequality." The Nigerian state is seen typically as the enemy because of the enduring poverty putting pressures on the high population. Poverty has increased since 2004 (75% of the population is considered poor).
Ever since it's independence from the UK after WWII, Nigeria has faced great instability. From the beginning of independence and the creation of a nation, Nigerians perceived corruption of the electoral and political process, which led to the back-to-back military coups begun in 1966. Nigeria only returned to democracy in 1999 with the 1999 election, although the 1999 and 2003 elections were deemed unfree and unfair. Ethnic violence over the oil producing Niger Delta region and inadequate infrastructures further add tension in Nigeria. Boko Haram came about because of Nigerians' dissatisfaction with the way the country was running. It seeks to abolish the secular system of government and establish Sharia law.
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