‘Boko Haram’ a group which has been campaigning for the imposition of Shariah (Islamic law) on the 36 states of the Nigerian federation launched an attacked in Bauchi, the capital of Bauchi state on the 26th July 2009. The incident occurred in the early hours of Sunday morning. The group was said to have attacked the federal low-cost housing estate and Dutsen Tanshi police station, where a gun battle with the police ensued.

The gun battle exchange between the group and the police left some of the group members dead and several injured. It was also reported that a soldier was killed and two policemen injured. The number of people who were killed is unclear, however, officials estimated that the death toll has been put at 39. Eye witnesses account put the death toll to be higher, some saying as many as 200 persons. Awwal Isa, a nurse at the Bauchi Specialist Hospital told AFP that a total of 42 bodies had been deposited at the hospital and some who sustained injuries in the clash are said to be receiving medical attention in different hospitals in Bauchi. Over 150 members of the sect have since been arrested by the police and an indefinite curfew from 9pm to 6am has been imposed in Bauchi by the governor Mallam Isa Yuguda.

According to Bauchi state police spokesman, more armed policemen have been drafted to the area to maintain order and security, he also added that more security measures were being taken to ensure that the crisis did not spread beyond the area.
The following day the action of the sect members spread to the nearby states of Yobe, Kano and Borno states where worse violence broke out. In Maiduguri the gun fire between the group and police lasted several hours. A journalist from the local compass newspaper in Maiduguri, Olugbenga Akindele said he was saw bodies of about 100 Islamic militants shot in gun battle with the police in the town. However, the number of deaths has not been confirmed. He said the militants attacked a police headquarters there, burned 10 houses inside the police compound and freed prisoners from a state prison.
Residents of Gamboru-Ngala said heavily armed members of the sect stormed the town and went on the rampage, burning a police headquarters, a church and a customs post in the early hours of Monday morning. Shafiu Mohammed a resident, said the sect members had overpowered police and customs officers in the town, on the border with Cameroon. He said the attack took them two hours. They left at about 2am without any resistance. He added that the armed men burned a custom officer to death and slit the throat of an engineer working at the customs complex. However, police gave no details of casualties in the attack.
In Damaturu, capital of Yobe state, the group bombed a police station, said national police spokesman Emmanuel Ojukwu, while in Wudil district, kano state, a police station was attacked according to local police spokemam Baba Muhammed. He said 3 of the group members were killed and 2 officers were wounded in the shootout and 34 militants were arrested.
Boko haram, which means education is sin have for months been planning a demonstration in Bauchi but have been rebuffed by the state government reported the Daily sun newspaper gathered. Furthermore, government officials were said to have expressed concern that the doctrine of the sect believed to be anti-west could lead to a religious crisis in the state. Some of their teachers are believed to be completely contrary to the teachings of Islam, especially as regards peaceful coexistence with other religious.
Reuters news agency quoted a member of the group, who was wounded during the initial attack on the state in Bauchi as saying the group wanted to clean the Nigerian system which, according to them, is polluted by western education and uphold Shariah all over the country. “The police have been arresting our leaders, that is why we decided to retaliate” said the man who give his name only as Abdullah.
Sectarian clashes between Muslims and Christians in Bauchi state killed 14 people in February. The Federal government has since raised the security alert level.
According to the president’s special adviser, media and publicity, Mr Olusegun Adeniyi, President Yar’adua directed that no effort should be spared in identifying, arresting and prosecuting leaders and members of the extremist sects involved in the attacks. The President further directed that security be beefed up in all neighbouring states and security personnel placed on full alert to ensure that the attacks by misguided elements do not spread elsewhere. He noted that the President deeply regrets the unnecessary loss of lives occasioned by the wanton and unprovoked attacks on the police and other innocent Nigerians in the affected states.
Curfew has also been imposed in Maiduguri, Borno state, Damaturu, Yobe state and Kano state.
The Nigeria Tribune on Wednesday  reported PRESIDENT Umaru Yar’Adua, to hanve, disclosed that he had ordered the defence chiefs, during an emergency meeting, to commence an immediate counter-operation against the group of religious extremists on rampage in the Northern part of the country.
He spoke with journalists at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja on his way to Brazil on a state visit. According to him, “There has been very serious action. In fact, we have the situation under control now and I believe, by the end of today, everything will have taken shape. I have been monitoring this situation in the last few days. By yesterday, the situation in Bauchi State had been contained completely and the crisis in Kano and Potiskum have also been dealt with.
“What we have now is a situation in Borno State, where the leader of the so-called Taliban group is residing and where most of them have migrated, from all the Northern states to go, prepare and declare the holy war. We are going to launch an operation, the main operation, with immediate effect.
“I have just finished meeting with our Defence Chiefs, who have been in constant contact with the governors of Borno, Bauchi, Kano and other states. So, this situation is being brought under control and I want to assure the nation.
“What has happened is that, it is the government that has moved to nip in the bud the action of a potentially dangerous people. These people have been organising, penetrating our society, procuring arms, learning how to make explosives and bombs to disturb, confuse and force their belief on the rest of Nigerians.
“Definitely, our security agencies have been tracking them for years and I believe that the operation we have launched now will be an operation that will contain them once and for all. Once the operation in Maiduguri is completed today, we are going to continue with the security surveillance all over the Northern states to fish out remnants of these elements and deal with them squarely and promptly.
“I want to assure this nation that this type of development, this administration will not tolerate any arms insurrection anywhere on any part of this country .
“Anywhere any group of people begins to launch arms insurrection and destruction against their fellow Nigerians, they will be dealt with squarely and promptly.
“I want to emphasise that this is not an inter-religious crisis and it is not the Taliban group that attacked the security agents first. No. It was as a result of a security information gathered on their intention, movement and what they are about to do by getting all their people to move so that they can launch a major attack. The situation is under control and I want to assure the people of this country that peace and security of lives and property will be fully guaranteed