Boko Haram’s “Deadliest Massacre” Kills Thousands in Nigeria (mostly women, children, elderly)

[Jim Beard]

50. A very informative article about Nigerias military

http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2015/1/13/boko-haram-nigeriamilitary.html

Despite being among Africa’s largest militaries and having played important roles in peacekeeping missions during civil wars in Sierra Leone and Liberia, Nigeria’s armed forces have been unable to stop Boko Haram, which now has assumed complete control of some parts of the northeastern states of Adamawa and Borno.

“There’s so many issues,” said Alkasim Abdulkadir, a Nigerian freelance journalist and security analyst, citing the lack of a unified command structure, poor equipment, low morale and allegations of corruption among commanders as key reasons behind the military’s failures.
--------------------------------------------

Much of Nigeria’s early decades after its 1960 independence were consumed by military coups and countercoups. Since the restoration of democracy in 1999, leaders have found it necessary to starve the military as a way to protect their power, according to Bawa Abdullahi Wase, a security analyst and expert on Boko Haram.

“For the past 14 years, the Nigerian security has been underfunded. For the same past 14 years, they have been under-manpowered. For the past 14 years, they have really been without weaponry,” Wase said.