The United Nations Security Council has unanimously voted to impose sanctions against Nigeria’s militant group, Boko Haram on Thursday.

This sanction from the world’s governing body comes as Boko Haram is still holding hostage of more than 200 schoolgirls it kidnapped in Borno State which has sparked condemnation from the international community.

Boko Haram has also intensified their killings, this time, bombing cities and town with heavy weapons and causing a lot of damage to millions of properties.

The UN said Boko Haram would now be added to a list of al-Qaeda-linked organizations subjected to an arms embargo and asset freeze. The sanctions would also help close off important avenues of funding, travel and weapons to the group.

The US special envoy to the United Nations Samantha Power told reporters it was an important step to end activities of Boko Haram.

“Today, the Security Council took an important step in support of the government of Nigeria’s efforts to defeat Boko Haram and hold its murderous leadership accountable for atrocities,” she said.

Both the UK and the US have already blacklisted Boko Haram as a terrorist organization, making their laws and regulatory agencies to block business and financial transactions with the group.

But Boko Haram has intensified their attacks despite international pressure being put on them since it abducted the schoolgirls from Chibok on April 16.

Two bombs were detonated in the city of Jos on Tuesday. More than 120 people died in that attack and many left wounded.

On Thursday, 27 people were killed again by Boko Haram in the north-eastern village of Chikongudo. Local reporters say all the houses in the village were set on fire while food and properties looted.

A group of protesters in the capital Abuja tried to march up to the Presidential Villa on Thursday to demand the release of the schoolgirls abducted but were prevented by riot police.

Teachers also went on strike and staged rallies nationwide on Thursday in protest against the girls’ kidnappings, as well as the killing of 173 teachers by the insurgents over the years.

President Jonathan said in a statement that the protestors should match with a realistic understanding of the situation on ground.

“When a bomb goes off in Baghdad, the people of Iraq do not blame the government, they blame the terrorists, when terrorists see Nigerians turn on each other in blame it gives them a huge morale boost to the terrorists are the real enemy,” he said.

Boko Haram has carried out a wave of bombings and assassinations since 2009 which have cost an estimate number of over 5,000 lives, saying it wants to establish an Islamic state across Nigeria.

Issaka Adams / NationalTurk Africa News

Writer’s email address: Adamsisska@googlemail.com

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