Nigeria elections postponed

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.