After Boko Haram 's leader was killed in police custody in 2009 , its members began carrying out a campaign of sporadic violence which has been fueled by the military 's iron-fisted approach , experts say . Boko Haram means `` Western education is outlawed ' A Nigerian commander cited a `` major encounter '' with Boko Haram . The militant group has been fighting for years to establish an Islamic state in northeast Nigeria and the militants have killed thousands of people since 2009.
Boko Haram means `` Western education is outlawed ' A Nigerian commander cited a `` major encounter '' with Boko Haram . The militant group has been fighting for years to establish an Islamic state in northeast Nigeria and the militants have killed thousands of people since 2009.