Traces the roots of Boko Haram from a small Islamic sect and its evolution into an extremist group, and details the nature and extent of the violence it has inflicted throughout Nigeria.

List of maps -- Acknowledgements -- A note on sources and the "Boko Haram" label -- A timeline of key events in Northern Nigerian history and the Boko Haram insurgency -- Prologue : "I think the worst has happened'-- 1. 'Then you should wait for the outcome' -- 2. 'His preachings were things that people could identify with' -- 3. 'I will not tolerate a brawl' -- 4. 'That is how complex the situation is' -- 5. 'I don't know. They're in the bush' -- 6. 'Our girls were kidnapped and they did not do anything' -- Epilogue : 'They should not allow me to die in this condition'.