Nigeria’s elections have been postponed from next Saturday to March 28, the country’s election commission announced Saturday.
The postponement was due to security concerns, the commission said.
The Islamist terror group Boko Haram has increased its attacks against troops and civilians in the weeks leading up to the elections.
“In consideration of the advice by the security agencies, it will be unconscionable to have elections without adequate security,” said elections chairman Attahiru Jega, according to a tweet from the Independent National Electoral Commission.
The announcement comes the same day Benin, Cameroon, Niger, Nigeria and Chad pledged to deploy 8,700 troops, police and civilians, as part of a regional effort to fight Boko Haram.
Boko Haram has terrorized northern Nigeria regularly since 2009, attacking police, schools, churches and civilians, as well as bombing government buildings. The Islamist group has said its aim is to impose a stricter form of Sharia law across Nigeria, which is split between a majority Muslim north and a mostly Christian south.
Recently attacks in Nigeria and in neighboring Cameroon and Chad have increased.
