Boko Haram: Quick Facts

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The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

Oct. 27, 2026

News •

At least 15 killed in suspected Boko Haram attack on Nigerian military convoy • Oct. 19, 2026, 11:54 AM ET (Jerusalem Post)

Facts

Also Known As	ISWA • Islamic State in West Africa • ISWAP • Jamāʿat Ahl al-Sunnah li-l-Daʿawah wa al-Jihād • Islamic State’s West African Province
Date	2002 - present
Areas Of Involvement	sharia • terrorism

Photos

Map of Nigeria highlighting in red the northeastern states where Boko Haram has been most active, including Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Gombe, and parts of Bauchi and Kano. The map shows state boundaries, major cities, and neighboring countries in West Africa.

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Topics

Islamic State in Iraq and Syria Ku Klux Klan al-Qaeda Hamas al-Shabaab Kurdistan Workers’ Party Red Army Faction al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghrib Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)Abu Sayyaf Group