Who are Boko Haram, who is their leader Abubakar Shekau and what do the Nigerian Islamist group want?
ISLAMIC jihadist group Boko Haram has terrorised Africa since 2002.
The militant group's reign of terror has spanned from Nigeria, through Chad, Niger and Northern Cameroon.
They shocked the world when they kidnapped 276 schoolgirls from the town of Chibok in Nigeria prompting a high profile social media campaign that saw everyone from Michelle Obama to David Cameron demand they "bring back our girls."
At least 82 of the kidnapped schoolgirls were released on Saturday 6 May 2017 after three years in captivity.
Boko Haram also sparked global outrage when Sky News obtained footage which showed a scared teen girl who revealed she was paid 40 pence by Boko Haram to carry out a suicide bomb attack.
The astonishing video shows the 14-year-old being interviewed by Nigerian cops who stopped her before she could detonate her explosives.
Human rights groups have claimed the group has started using babies as suicide bombers.
Who are Boko Haram?
Boko Haram believe in a very strict version of Salafi and Wahabi Islam which forbids, or makes "haram", the taking part in anything associated with Western culture.
Their wide ranging and deeply conservative interpretation of this bars voting in elections, receiving a secular education or even wearing shirts and trousers.
They believe their native Nigeria is run by infidels even when the country elects Muslim presidents.
Boko Haram's goal is the overthrow of the Nigerian state and running the country according to their twisted world view.
The group's official name is Jama'atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda'awati wal-Jihad, which in Arabic means "People Committed to the Propagation of the Prophet's Teachings and Jihad".
But locals in the city of Maiduguri, where the group had its headquarters took to calling it Boko Haram.
The loose translation from the language of the region is "Western education is forbidden".
The group was founded in 2002 by Mohammed Yusuf in northeastern Nigeria.
He set up a religious complex and school that began to attract poor Islamic families from across the country.
The denouncing of corruption in the Nigerian state and police force also attracted many unemployed young men to the cause.
For it's first seven years the group behaved more or less peacefully living an almost cult like existence separate from regular society.
But in 2009 the police arrested nine members of the group and confiscated weapons and bomb-making equipment amid suspicions the group had ties with Al-Qaeda.
Yusuf was arrested and reportedly died in custody while "trying to escape" this act lead to the groups transformation into a far more aggressive jihadi organisation.
Who is leader Abubakar Shekau?
Yusuf's number two Abubakar Shekau took command of the group and the following year they launched several attacks across northern Nigeria.
Boko Haram went from strength to strength launching IED attacks and graduating to suicide attacks in 2011, claiming 550 lives.
In 2012 half that many were killed again in the first three weeks of the year forcing the Nigerian government to declare a state of emergency.
Shekau claims to be an intellectual theologian who has studied Islam.
He was born in Nigeria but his age is uknown.
It was claimed he was born in the village of Shekau in the Yobe State of Nigeria.
Why did they kidnap the Chibok girls?
In 2013 Boko Haramwere officially declared a terrorist organisation by the USA and the next year stunned the globe with the Chibok kidnapping.
Shekau announced he intended to sell the 276 girls into slavery and brought worldwide attention on the group.
The hashtag #BringBackOurGirls began trending worldwide and gained the support of Michelle Obama, David Cameron and a host of other celebrities.
Government ministers confirmed 82 of the 270 girls were finally freed on Saturday 6 May 2017 in exchange for five high-ranking Boko Haram prisoners.
Why are they using babies for suicide attacks?
Authorities in Nigeria have warned that the terrorist group are now using babies in their suicide attacks.
The attack took place at a market in Madagali in east Nigeria, on January 13, reports the BBC.
The pair of female attackers reportedly passed through a checkpoint while the tragic infants were strapped to their backs.
Two male jihadists who were not carrying children were detained at the same security checkpoint.
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What is the latest situation with the terrorist group?
The Nigerian army said in May 2018 it had rescued more than 1,000 people held captive in northeastern Nigeria that had been held by Boko Haram.
The people, mainly women and children, were rescued from four villages in Borno state.
A multinational task force from Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Benin united to save the captives.
Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari said earlier this year that the era of Boko Haram violence "is gradually drawing to end".
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