Ongoing terror in Nigeria

It was violent weekend in Nigeria's northern state of Borno. Eyewitnesses reported seeing attackers entering three villages in pick-up trucks and on motorcycles. "The attack started around 8 am in the morning and lasted for over four hours," a resident from Kautikiri told reporters from the DPA news agency.

They set buildings on fire and attacked churches. Authorities recovered 30 bodies in the village of Kwada, which lies 10 kilometers (six miles) away from the city of Chibok, where over 200 schoolgirls were abducted over two months ago. In the village of Kautikiri, residents said they had recovered a further 15 bodies. Another attack was reported in the village of Nguragida. Police were unable to confirm the number of casualties due to what they described as "communication difficulties" in the area.

While no group has claimed responsibility for the attack, Nigerian authorities were looking for clues as whether the Islamist extremist group Boko Haram was behind the violence. The group has been blamed for a string of attacks in the region in an insurgency which has claimed thousands of lives since 2009.

Attacks almost daily

The last week has seen attacks on almost a daily basis. One survivor told DW how attackers killed up to 30 people in his village, including his wife and children. He said the attackers came in the early morning hours and pursued those who tried to run away on their motorbikes. "The security forces didn't come. They always promise so much but nothing ever happens." The government, he thinks, has failed.

Over the last few months Boko Haram is believed to have been responsible for the killing of hundreds of football fans, the bombing of a shopping center and bus stations in the capital Abuja as well as attacks on several villages in the north of the country.

Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan condemned earlier attacks in the state of Bauchi and sectarian violence in the state of Kaduna. In a statement, he extended his sympathies to those who had lost relatives and their land or homes as a result of the attacks.

Crossing the border

Neighboring Cameroon has deployed 1,000 of troops along its border to contain the activities of the militants. An army spokesperson told reporters that Cameroon has declared war against Boko Haram. During the past week, Cameroonian security forces have repeatedly clashed with suspected militants, killing at least 10 and arresting many more.