Boko Haram threatens Nigeria's new government

Nigeria's Islamist group Boko Haram killed more than 42 people in Northeast Nigeria during the weekend, even as the country's new President Muhammadu Buhari was sworn in as the new president.

Read more: Buhari takes office as President of Nigeria

More than 10 people were killed on Friday in Maiduguri city during a wedding ceremonial, another 16 people on Saturday after a suicide bomber blew himself up inside a mosque and 11 on Sunday, after a small group of insurgents fired several mortars rounds into the town.

"The gunmen stormed our town firing everywhere to scare people away before breaking into shops and carting away food and jerry cans of petrol‎," resident Muhammad Garba said.‎

According to the residents, insurgents sang: “Allahu Akbar (God is Great). We are here to destroy all public buildings, houses and shops of those who believe in democracy. We will continue to fight whosoever identifies himself/herself with the Nigerian government which we consider as anti-Islam. We will not relent or surrender until we impose strict Sharia Law for people to adhere to.”

The latest attacks pose a challenge for Buhari, the first opposition leader to win presidential elections in the country since its independence in 1960, promising to take on the violence Islamist group after years of attacks under his predecessor, Goodluck Jonathan.

He has sworn to protect the security of Nigerians everywhere

“His new administration won’t tolerate wanton and willful destruction of life,” the president’s interim spokesman Shehu Garba said. “He has sworn to protect the security of Nigerians everywhere.”

Although Cameroon, Chad and Niger have backed Nigerian efforts to tackle down the Islamist group, recent evidences whow that they are winning countrol over the country's Notheastern provinces.

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