▁set ▁ab la ze ▁houses ▁while ▁shooting ▁at ▁residents ▁who ▁tried ▁to ▁escape ▁from ▁the ▁fire . ▁ ▁B oko ▁Har am ▁B oko ▁Har am ▁is ▁an ▁j ih ad ist ▁terror ist ▁group ▁in ▁Niger ia ▁that ▁is ▁demand ing ▁to ▁imp ose ▁sh aria ▁law ▁upon ▁the ▁entire ▁country . ▁F ounded ▁by ▁Moh ammed ▁Y ous uf , ▁the ▁group ▁commonly ▁bomb s ▁government ▁buildings ▁and ▁churches ▁in ▁its ▁milit ant ▁attacks . ▁The ▁group ▁is ▁most ▁active ▁in ▁the ▁former ▁territory ▁of ▁the ▁Born u ▁Empire , ▁now ▁Bor no ▁State ▁in ▁n ort he astern ▁Niger ia . ▁B oko ▁Har am ▁launched ▁its ▁first ▁terror ▁attack ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 9 , ▁and ▁have ▁since ▁been ▁engaged ▁in ▁a ▁low - int ens ity ▁conflict ▁against ▁the ▁Niger ian ▁government , ▁armed ▁forces ▁and ▁inhabitants . ▁B oko ▁Har am ▁is ▁particularly ▁v icious ▁against ▁Niger ian ▁Christians , ▁who ▁they ▁see ▁as ▁inf id els ▁living ▁in ▁their ▁proposed ▁Islam ist ▁state . ▁B H ▁had ▁carried ▁out ▁mass ac res ▁in ▁villages ▁prior ▁to ▁the ▁K ond uga ▁mass acre . ▁The ▁violence ▁became ▁so ▁w ides p read ▁that ▁on ▁ 1 4 ▁May ▁ 2 0 1 3 , ▁Niger ian ▁President ▁Good l uck ▁Jonathan ▁declared ▁a ▁state ▁of ▁emer gency ▁in ▁northern ▁Niger ia ▁and ▁mobil ized ▁the ▁army ▁to ▁battle ▁the ▁milit ants . ▁ ▁Other ▁actions ▁by ▁B oko ▁Har am ▁include ▁a ▁mass ▁shooting ▁in ▁