Boko Haram self-funded through robbery and arms trafficking

Evidence

With a vicious, angry man named Abubakar Shekau as its new leader, the group, now numbering a few thousand fighters, began burning down schools, police stations, clinics, and other government buildings. Yusuf was thoughtful and charismatic, but Shekau, a former theology student, seemed psychotic, determined to sow violent chaos for the fun of it. Boko Haram members destroyed water sources and power stations, and blew up cell phone towers, markets, and churches through central and northern Nigeria. The group funded and armed itself through bank robberies, arms trafficking, private donations, extortion, raids of Nigerian military barracks, and, allegedly, al-Qaeda affiliates that also trained some of its fighters. — Alexis Okeowo, A Moonless, Starless Sky, 187

Categorization

• corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim — Alexis Okeowo, A Moonless, Starless Sky, 187