Niger, the northern neighbor of Nigeria is now on the target list of the West African Islamist militant group Boko Haram. Boko Haram’s attacks within Nigeria forced thousands of residents to seek refuge in Niger, which is now getting the unwanted attention as a target itself. Diffa, the regional capital of eastern Niger is seeing the first signs of a new crisis, involving both incoming refugees from Nigeria, on one hand, and Boko Haram, on the other. Fear of a Boko Haram attack prompted local authorities to shut down all the schools and medical establishments all along the border with Nigeria. The closing of these public establishments led to the spreading of rumors about imminent attacks. Subsequently, a state of panic has begun to take place in the entire eastern region.
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