Attacks against military posts and predominantly Christian communities in the states of Adamawa, Yobe, and Borno, where its rival Boko Haram, loyal to the al-Qaeda network, has its headquarters, resulted in deaths and the seizure of weapons and equipment, according to Eipao spokespersons.

The attacks targeted security force posts, nine of whose members were killed in the operations, the statement said, accompanied by photos that sources claim were taken during the attacks.

If confirmed, the Islamist offensive will add to the incursions by non-ideologically affiliated cattle rustlers against unarmed civilian villages in the north and center of this country, Africa’s most populous and second-largest oil producer.

The situation is yet another of the tribulations of the central government, which has shown itself unable to eliminate them or at least curb their attacks.

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