Hassan , however , denied that the attack on 7 January had ever occurred and that the figure of 2,000 deaths was " outrageous " . Several government sources allegedly rejected claims of such a high number of fatalities , suggesting that it was considerably lower . However , the Nigerian government has downplayed the extent of , and frequently outright denied the existence of , Boko Haram attacks several times in the past , including a prior massacre in Baga in 2013 where both Boko Haram and the Nigerian military were implicated in the death of over 200 citizens
prior massacre in Baga in 2013
2013 Baga massacre
2015 Baga massacre