Nigeria 'recaptures' key town of Monguno from Boko Haram

by Rashida Adjani and Biodun Iginla, BBC News, N'Djamena, Chad

Nigerian troops, backed by air strikes, have reclaimed the town of Monguno from Boko Haram, a military statement said.

The group seized the town last month, forcing more than 5,000 people - including some soldiers - to flee.
Monguno, in north-eastern Borno state, is near the capital Maiduguri and the borders of Chad, Cameroon and Niger.
Meanwhile, an official from US Africa Command told the BBC that they will provide Nigeria with training and equipment to combat Boko Haram.
Boko Haram has seized control of much of the north-eastern Borno state in recent months, amid widespread criticism of the Nigerian army.
But backed by its neighbours, especially Chad, some territory has been recaptured in recent weeks.
Lt-Gen Steven Hummer said that Africa Command was "ready to assist in whatever way [Nigeria] see as being practical".
However, he did not clarify how much support Nigeria could expect to receive.
The US has previously voiced concerns over helping the country because of concerns about its human rights record.
A senior US official told the BBC that there were also worries over the lack of political will to defeat Boko Haram.

Protecting Maiduguri

The recapture of Monguno was considered key to protecting the far larger city of Maiduguri, capital of Borno state.

A day after Boko Haram seized Monguno on 24 January, they launched the first of a series of attacks on the city.
Assaults by Boko Haram have intensified recently, prompting the Nigerian government to delay elections scheduled for 14 February by six weeks.

Boko Haram at a glance

• Founded in 2002, initially focused on opposing Western-style education - Boko Haram means "Western education is forbidden" in the Hausa language
• Launched military operations in 2009 to create Islamic state
• Thousands killed, mostly in north-eastern Nigeria - has also attacked police and UN headquarters in capital, Abuja
• Has abducted hundreds, including at least 200 schoolgirls
• Controls several north-eastern towns
• Has launched attacks on Cameroon

Why is Boko Haram so strong?
Soldiers without weapons

On Saturday, the Islamist group tried to seize the regional capital of neighbouring Gombe state.
Despite this, Nigeria's President Goodluck Jonathan has promised elections will take place on 28 March.
But as well as the security threat posed by the militants, officials must deal with the problem of pre-election violence.
Last week, Nigeria's National Human Rights Commission reported that 58 people have been killed since campaigning began 50 days ago.
The election is seen as the most closely fought since the end of military rule in 1999.