- On the border of Cameroun in Nigeria,
this village is threatened daily by Boko Haram,
the most deadly terrorist organization in the world.
To protect themselves, the villagers have created
a militia equipped with machetes, bows and arrows.
But mostly, they rely on the soldiers of
the Camerounian army.
This isolated outpost in the middle of the hills
is commanded by Lieutenant Dang.
- We are at the outpost in Din-Din.
- [Narrator] Every morning, the officer puts pressure
on his men.
- Commanding officer, quick, quick, quick!
At the ready!
- [Narrator] The outpost is even equipped to the mortar.
The lieutenant knows that Boko Haram is nearby.
- This is Nigeria ahead of us.
The houses you see right there?
- [Interpreter] How many meters?
- 200, 300 meters.
My job is to secure the border, and prevent Boko Haram's
raids, so people can live in peace.
We're on the lookout around the clock,
whether for suicide bombers, or actual warfare.
- [Interpreter] What if someone comes up to you,
what do you do?
- If someone comes up to us, we identify them
from a distance.
If they're threatening, it's over for them.
- Boko Haram?
No way, not here, we will wipe them out.
- Boko Haram, your days are numbered!
- [Narrator] Boko Haram is tens of thousands
of fanatical Islamist fighters who are spreading
terror in the heart of Africa.
The movement began in northern Nigeria, poor,
with a mostly Muslim population.
An area that doesn't enjoy the same prosperity
as the Christian, oil-rich south.
Boko Haram is also its leader, Abubakar Shekau,
a very dangerous man.
- Today, our religion is to kill, slaughter, slay,
massacre ...
- [Narrator] As we see in these propaganda videos,
Shekau believes himself to be invincible,
and declares war on the entire world in the name
of the Qu-ran.
- Obama, Francois Hollande, Queen Elizabeth, they will not
kill me, the infidels of the world will not kill me.
We follow the orders of the Qu'ran in the name of Allah.
- [Narrator] Shekau and his 30,000 Jihadists
use particularly bloody methods.
They ruthlessly cut the throats or execute their enemies
to terrorize the public.
It was on April 14th, 2014, that Boko Haram
first made headlines worldwide.
(foreign name), one of their commandos, set fire to
a high school in the city of Chibok,
and captured 276 students.
All girls, aged 12 to 17.
A few days later, Boko Haram broadcast these images
of the girls.
They were reciting Muslim prayers.
165 of them are Christian, but they were forced
to convert.
- Are you Christian? - Yes.
- Now you're Muslim.
- [Narrator] The kidnapping caused a stir worldwide.
The general public came together behind the slogan,
bring back our girls.
Michelle Obama, very moved, made a public statement.
- Like millions of people across the globe,
my husband and I are outraged and heartbroken
over the kidnapping of more than 200 Nigerian girls.
- [Narrator] Even Hollywood mobilized behind
the actress, Julia Roberts.
At the Cannes Film Festival, the stars showed solidarity
on the red carpet.
- All this talk, because I kidnapped some girls.
I can confirm, yes, I'm the one who took them.
I intend to sell them on the market where
I sell human beings.
God instructed me to do this.
- [Narrator] Starting from Nigeria, the Islamists
began attacking the three neighboring countries.
Parts of Chad, Niger, and Cameroun, have become
Boko Haram land.
We'll carry out the investigation on the ground here,
as close as possible to the massacres and battles.
We will follow the soldiers who fight
these religious fanatics.
- [Interpreter] Will you cross the bridge?
- Protect them.
Move forward.
- [Narrator] We will talk with those who suffer
from their abuses.
- A man from Boko Haram said, why are you talking to him?
Just kill him.
And he shot my husband dead.
- [Narrator] We will also hear firsthand
reports from survivors of suicide bombings.
- I lost my eye.
It was horrible.
- [Narrator] We will see Jihadists captured in combat.
We will also speak with an African king,
a hostage of Boko Haram, who miraculously survived.
- And then I heard them try the doorhandle.
It was locked, so they shot it off.
And I thought, we're not going to make it out of here.
- The evil and violence that threatens us here
is everywhere.
- [Narrator] We will follow a priest who must confront
the danger of Boko Haram on a daily basis.
- We must stay here.
- [Narrator] Our investigation begins in Diffa,
in the southeast of Niger, on the Nigerian border,
in the heart of Boko Haram land.
- For Diffa, we have to land (mumbles).
Same color of the desert.
See?
- [Narrator] Diffa, a small town, has been repeatedly
stormed by Jihadists.
They were beaten back each time.
On the tarmac, MI-24 attack helicopters.
Faced with Boko Haram, a coalition of African countries
are involved in the fight.
Niger, Chad, Cameroun, and Nigeria.
We travel under escort to meet the Nigerian army's
general staff.
The base is very active.
This morning, there were reports of infiltration
of Boko Haram.
A pickup truck combs the surroundings.
- They're trying to infiltrate Niger.
I'm in charge of blocking and destroying them.
- [Narrator] The soldiers are well-armed and well-equipped.
They've just received more ammunition this morning.
It's in this building, every morning at 10 a.m.,
that the military leaders of the coalition
come together for a general staff meeting.
Chadian and Nigerian officers arrive.
More surprising, we see the arrival of
two lieutenants from the U.S. military.
As we can see, they are already acquainted with
the people here.
They are not the only western soldiers.
Two French officers arrive next.
A commander, second in from operation Barkhan,
further north in the Sahel, and his deputy.
Faced with the rise of Boko Haram, France
and the United States have placed some men
on temporary assignment here.
They are surprised by the presence of journalists,
and prefer not to talk to us.
Everyone is waiting for this man,
the leader of the fifth military region,
Colonel Moussa Bamu, who controls the operations
that are currently underway.
Every day, the colonel takes stock of that day's
military operations.
- Our goal is to rid our border completely
of Boko Haram.
We know that this is a dangerous task.
They have a foothold in Nigeria, and they still
have the means to retaliate.
But, we are continuing because it's essential,
and I know we have what it takes to gain
the upper hand.
- [Narrator] The colonel's problem is finding out
where the head of Boko Haram is hiding.
- Right now, we don't know exactly.
If we knew, then the war would be easy.
This is someone who's constantly moving,
who rarely spends two nights in the same place.
He communicates very little.
Which makes it difficult to catch him.
(laughing)
(speaking foreign language)
I don't think that he's a mentally stable person.
We can see in the videos that he's not right in the head.
But how could he have peace of mind, considering
all the atrocities he's committed?
- [Narrator] At the end of the meeting,
we interview a Nigerian officer.
Are Nigerians the only ones fighting?
- There are allies too.
They're friends.
The Chadians, the French, the Americans.
- No, the French army helps out, but they don't
participate in the war.
- [Narrator] The French military conducts intelligence,
pooling their information with the African army.
While the Americans use drones, like this one,
that flies over the camp.
- They help us with reconnaissance missions,
using their planes.
And so this has enabled us to intervene
by helicopter on many occasions.
- [Interpreter] They find them, and you destroy them?
- Exactly.
- [Interpreter] And you've had success?
- Several times.
- [Interpreter] You do precision bombing?
- That's right, tit for tat.
- [Narrator] Americans do more than just intelligence work.
Inside this enclosure, we see a heavily protected fort.
Behind the barb wire, not far away,
American soldiers.
They're training a Nigerian anti-terrorist unit.
Among the soldiers of the African coalition,
Boko Haram is dismissed in no uncertain terms.
- I describe them as drug addicts.
These people are thugs.
- You don't kill your Muslim brother.
You don't put bombs in mosques.
They're assholes.
Hypocrites of Islam.
I'll say it again, hypocrites of Islam.
- [Narrator] Hypocrites against which these soldiers
are waging a thankless war.
But for them, it's impossible to stand aside
and let Boko Haram invade their country.
Just a few days ago only seven kilometers
away from here, the Islamists made an attempt
to cross the border.
When we arrive there, we find men waiting in ambush,
sitting in foxholes.
They sleep here, because they fear another
surprise attack from Boko Haram.
- In these foxholes, we are protected.
Even from mortars, and we can defend ourselves.
We can shoot accurately without being seen
by the enemy.
- [Interpreter] Where's the border?
- Barely 150 meters from here.
- Two scouts, go ahead.
- [Narrator] The Nigerian officer sends men
on a recon mission, to find enemy soldiers
that could be waiting in ambush.
- [Soldier] Clear the bridge!
Remove the obstacles.
- [Narrator] Here's the Komadugu river
that marks the border with Nigeria.
- They tried to cross the border three times.
They tried to capture our base using force.
But we beat them down and drove them away.
The proof is the corpses they left behind.
- [Soldier] Spread out in front!
It's possible ...
It's possible we're being watched, because there
are large trees around here.
That's why we always survey the area.
- [Narrator] On this side of the river,
Nigeria begins.
- Now, we're in Nigeria.
Protect them.
- [Narrator] And the territory of Boko Haram.
- There's the corpse.
- [Narrator] The officer knows that Jihadists
never refuse the chance to fight.
The latest attack took place here, just a few days ago.
The bodies of Boko Haram soldiers still litter the ground.
- Often, when the fight us, they're on drugs.
- [Interpreter] How can you tell that they're on drugs?
They keep going even when injured?
- That's right.
Even when you wound them, they come back to fight.
It's not over until you get them in the head.
- [Interpreter] Do they shout and yell?
- They have their tactics, they're bloodthirsty.
They want to win at all costs.
This is a very dangerous group, and someone
who takes drugs, loses consciousness, then
slits throats and shoots people, cannot be religious.
It's impossible.
What they do is incomprehensible.
Religion has never condoned these actions.
It really is terrorism.
They need to be wiped out.
- [Narrator] This battle did not only result in deaths.
The Nigerian soldiers were able to achieve something rare.
They captured these members of Boko Haram, who
had hoped to conquer the city.
Now, they are prisoners at Diffa's central police station
before being transferred to the capitol.
This is Boko Haram.
Shirtless, shoeless.
- [Prison Guard] Stand up.
- [Narrator] They obey the prison guards
and remain silent.
- Move forward.
- [Narrator] Returning to their cells, they seem harmless.
The opposite of how they are on the battlefield.
Violent and deadly.
But they are not the only ones.
The Nigerian army has also been accused
of serious acts of violence by Amnesty International.
One case in particular made headlines worldwide.
In 2014, Boko Haram attacked a barracks in Nigeria
that served as a prison.
The prisoners were released by the Jihadists,
but they were quickly and fiercely suppressed.
The Nigerian military recaptured the escapees
and executed 640 of them.
Many of them were not soldiers for Boko Haram.
More seriously, according to a secret military report
that the Human Rights Organization was able
to get a hold of, the soldiers carried out
arbitrary executions.
- (translated from video) Remain seated.
You bastards are going to die.
- [Narrator] These images were obtained
by Amnesty International.
Here, prisoners are beaten to death.
Here, soldiers pour a jug of melted plastic
on the skin of their captive.
And here, the military executes men in mass graves
dug by the prisoners themselves.
Back in Diffa, in Niger, on the border of Nigeria ...
During Boko Haram's attack, the main target
was the governor's residence.
Since then, it has been strictly protected.
Inside, the governor continues to remain on guard.
- When we captured one of Boko Haram's leaders
in Diffa, we found a map.
On which the governor's residence was marked.
The military base, the guards, when they set out
to eliminate people, they have their plan of attack.
- [Narrator] The governor questions Boko Haram's
objectives.
- Do they really want an Islamic state?
Because to have that, they would need something
to control.
What will be left for them to control, if they're
burning down cities and slaughtering everyone?
You can't negotiate with criminals.
- [Narrator] In the military camp, soldiers kneel
for the evening prayers.
For colonel Moussa Bamu, it's meal time.
He eats with his officers.
Tonight, his troops are in battle.
They want to recapture a small town
from Islamist militia men.
The operations room is adjacent to his office.
- Okay, here's the situation.
In Gaska, our men have made contact with the enemy.
Then, these assholes reacted by attacking the village
of (foreign name).
- [Narrator] The battle against Boko Haram is taking place
in neighboring Nigeria.
Soldiers return from the border.
- We're back from the front.
We were in Nigeria.
- This is ammunition we took from Boko Haram in Nigeria.
It's a souvenir.
- [Narrator] The soldiers shared these images with us,
of the battle to recapture the town.
Some equipment is brand new.
On this Chadian truck, a state of the art rocket launcher,
made in Russia.
We see western advisors.
Probably employed by a private military corporation
funded by the United States.
(dramatic music)
The pickup trucks move forward in a line
while firing at Jihadists.
We hear the sounds of mortars, missiles, machine guns.
The attack has begun.
The battle lasts three hours.
The Islamists will abandon the village.
It's a victory.
(excited foreign speech)
In the morning, I get permission to go to Nigeria myself.
On the road to the airport, we pass several
French special forces vehicles.
On a tarmac, French commandos predict
the unloading of a plane arriving from N'Djamena,
the capital of neighboring Chad.
To reach the theater of operations, we board
one of the Nigerian army's helicopters.
The aircraft flies over the Kamedugu river,
which marks the border.
We land in Nigeria, where the battle has just ended.
Lieutenant colonel Tumba commands the Nigerian battalion.
Apparently, his men managed to surprise Boko Haram.
- Their food was still hot when we found them.
They were just about to eat, but things
didn't go as they planned.
They've committed atrocities against the people here.
Ten days ago, they burned down some houses.
People have been forced to leave the city.
- [Narrator] The Nigerian soldiers are satisfied.
- [Interpreter] You participated in the battle yesterday?
- Yes - Did they put up
- [Interpreter] A strong resistance?
- No, they couldn't with stand us.
We're stronger than them.
- They don't have the techniques, they're
not trained military.
They empty their charges everywhere.
We take aim and we strike.
- This is a Dragunov rifle.
- [Interpreter] How far away can you shoot?
- 1,000 meters.
- [Interpreter] You've already shot at Boko Haram?
- Yes, I hit five of them.
- [Interpreter] Wounded or dead?
- Dead.
One in the eye, another here.
Another here.
- [Interpreter] With one bullet?
- Yes, one bullet.
- [Narrator] Since then, the conquered village
is deserted, but the soldiers are wary.
Boko Haram usually leaves some soldiers behind
to fight a rear guard action.
This morning, the military wants to ensure
that there are no snipers lying in ambush.
- I'm ready to fight.
- [Narrator] The buildings that burned the night before
could be hiding prospective martyrs.
The convoy takes narrow dirt alleyways
between walls which are conducive to ambushes.
- Move forward!
- [Narrator] The patrol ends by foot.
Clearly, the soldiers have not been back
to the village since Boko Haram withdrew.
- [Interpreter] What do you fear the most right now?
- Being taken by surprise.
- You, go alone.
Run and take position, fast.
- Get behind me!
- [Narrator] After an hour spent patrolling,
all is quiet.
Boko Haram seems to have fled.
- The civilians will come back if we're here.
They're our brothers, our mothers, our sisters.
We're defending the integrity of our country
and neighboring country.
We're proud of that.
- [Narrator] We leave Nigeria.
Faced with several months of attacks from African armies,
Boko Haram will avoid carrying out frontal assaults
from this point forward.
They will change their tactics.
The war will now take place on the border
of Nigeria and Cameroun.
We go there.
For Islamist fanatics, there is no state,
no borders, but a caliphate in the heart of Africa.
Where the Sharia should reign.
Their target in recent months is the prefecture
of Maroua, in Cameroun.
At the airport, a plane from the U.S. airforce
brings materials to the Camerounian troops.
The army is on the alert.
Boko Haram has infiltrated the city.
- Someone needs to go with him.
- [Narrator] Europeans are rare here.
And very much at risk.
An escort will stay by our side throughout
our investigation.
To protect us, the front of our hotel
is heavily guarded.
The police's main concern are suicide attacks.
The number of these attacks is increasing,
causing panic in the streets.
Police put up posters with specific instructions
for the inhabitants.
- This allows civilians to identify possible terrorists.
And take precautions to avoid explosions.
- [Narrator] The poster details the telltale signs
of a terrorist.
Tired eyes, a distracted or nervous behavior.
Their hand grasping an object that could
be a detonator.
You can even learn that suicide bombers often
perfume themselves, as preparation for their entry
to heaven.
- There's a free phone number.
1-5-0-0, that anyone can call.
Often, it's civilians who give the most information
to law enforcement agencies.
- [Narrator] These precautions date back to the summer
of 2015.
When a suicide bombing in the city's fabric market
left 13 dead and dozens injured.
In the emergency room of the hospital, which
is badly equipped, medical staff is overwhelmed.
Survivors are lying on the floor in the bloody corridors.
The city is in shock.
A generally peaceful area, this small Christian community
now feels threatened.
It's Sunday morning, time for Mass.
The priest, Father Antonio, is Spanish.
Outside, volunteers search the parishioners
with metal detectors.
They even search young children.
One of Boko Haram's tactics is to use them
as human bombs.
- Sometimes, the bombers use small children.
They put a bomb on them and tell them where to go.
Children don't understand what it is.
That's why we check everyone.
- The evil and violence that threatens us here
is everywhere.
We saw it in Paris with 129 dead, 300 wounded.
The violence affects everyone.
- [Narrator] During the service, a watch man stands guard.
He ensures that no terrorists throw bombs
over the wall or fire from the street into the church.
- Since we began guarding the markets,
palm district, and the church, we've killed many people.
We've had to take matters into our own hands.
- [Interpreter] What's your biggest fear?
- The terrorists, more than anything.
But in Maroua, it's not only Christians who are in danger.
The town has a mostly Muslim population,
and they've already been hit repeatedly
by Boko Haram.
The street leading to the mosque, the Mosque Iaya,
is closed.
Car bombs pose a threat.
Here, too, a vigilance committee frisks the worshippers,
one by one.
From a balcony, there's even a watchman keeping
an eye on the crowd.
- There are people who might come here with explosives.
Everyone needs to be checked.
- [Interpreter] And people accept being checked,
there's no problem?
- Yes, they accept it.
They know that it's necessary.
- Hey, you, with the bag.
Stop right there.
He has a big bag, I don't trust bags.
That's how we work here.
- [Narrator] The guards also worry about women
hiding explosives under their clothes.
They forbid them to wear the burka.
Only headscarves are allowed when entering the mosque.
These precautions still don't prevent the terrorists
from striking whenever they want.
That's what happened just nearby the Mosque Iaya.
Terrorists placed a bomb on a ten year old child,
a village beggar.
Her body was severed in half at the waist
by the power of the explosion.
- [Interpreter] Did she set off the bomb herself,
or did a terrorist use a remote detonator?
- [Narrator] It was a carnage.
20 people died instantly and about 60 others
were seriously injured.
It all happened on a Saturday, in this spot.
A group of regulars were gathered in front
of the coffee merchant.
At two p.m., the explosion.
The wall still bears marks from the blast.
The cafe owner's table is still there.
His sons, Bashir and Yusuf, often pass by
the scene of the explosion.
- I heard the explosion.
I was close by, but when I arrived, everyone
was already dead.
Then, they were taken to the hospital.
- [Narrator] Our body guards are on the alert
in this busy and crowded district.
A man in a jilaba approaches.
They check him.
- It's a member of the vigilance committee.
- [Narrator] The man belongs to the district
vigilance committee.
He is responsible for identifying unknown individuals.
The day of the attack, he was one of the first
to arrive on the scene as soon as he heard
the explosion.
- It was a sound like I've never heard in my life.
It makes so much noise.
There were dismembered parts everywhere.
The bodies were thrown 50 or 100 meters.
An arm was found in a neighbor's house.
- [Narrator] Uma Tae takes us to a house right next
to the tragic scene.
A man lives there in seclusion since his release
from the hospital.
It's a miracle he survived.
- Mister Mustafa is a friend of mine.
He was there at the explosion.
He has a broken arm and several fractures.
- I have a fracture, and wound here.
And I lost my eye.
It was horrible.
- [Narrator] Mustafa Seli will never forget
the moments just before the explosion.
Nor his lost friends with whom he was talking
about their shared passion, football.
- We were discussing the French championship.
My favorite team is Marseilles.
One was for Paris, the other was for Leon.
We were chatting about transfers, and that
sort of thing.
- [Narrator] It was at that time that
the young kamikaze arrived.
- A beggar girl came up to us, and asked
for something to eat.
My friend, Mr. Bubaka, gave her 100 francs.
He was killed by the explosion.
- It's a sect.
They're brainwashed.
So they're prepared to do anything.
Prepared even to die.
- [Narrator] Those closest to the front line
in the fight against Boko Haram are the BIR,
the rapid intervention brigade.
They were trained by the Israeli army.
Their camp lies just outside the city.
Commander Mulate, chief of operations, knows
the enemy's tactics.
Suicide bombers are mostly children and women.
- What's the profile?
The widow of a soldier, who's been captured
or killed.
Who then separates from her family for a time
ranging from six months to a year.
She'll have a thorough indoctrination with the Qu'ran.
They'll give her training in explosives,
then finally, a holy man will drill her,
and brainwash her.
And then she'll be sent into action.
- [Narrator] Faced with suicide bombings,
the BIR are adapting and making use
of new technology.
- When I search them, I'm looking for evidence
like SIM cards or memory sticks.
- [Interpreter] For you, a SIM card is as important
as a weapon?
- More important than a weapon.
A phone card might have information, photos,
phone calls, that we can trace.
So we can know who he's in contact with.
Whether here in Cameroun, or elsewhere.
- [Narrator] This morning, the BIR receiving
forensic science training.
- For DNA tests, you rub from the bottom up.
- [Narrator] To fight against Islamic infiltration,
police use state of the art technology.
A computer database in which they store photos
and DNA data.
- [Interpreter] Just like criminal investigation work?
- That's right, we're transforming into
smarter fighters who are no longer required
to use force to get information.
We're exploiting new technology.
- [Narrator] The most troubled zone today,
is the northern part of the country, near Nigeria.
The Kolo Fata region.
We go there.
Boko Haram frequently conducts raids there,
in the heart of the city, in broad daylight.
In fall, 2014, Jihadists burned the houses
of various public figures, killing several people
and taking hostages.
It was behind this wall that they captured
the mayor.
Seini Boukar, who is also a traditional king, or Lamido,
as they say here.
After 76 days in captivity, the mayor was released
in a prisoner exchange.
With him were ten Chinese workers who were captured
while building a road.
All hostages were unharmed and evacuated
by airplane.
Since then, the king has taken refuge far
from Boko Haram.
250 kilometers away, in Garoua, where he now lives
with his family.
- Hello, welcome, please come in.
- [Narrator] He shows us pictures of the attacked property,
where his brother and a holy man were killed
in his home, executed by the Islamists.
- Here are the rooms where it took place.
The holy man lived in the left.
He taught religion to the children.
He was killed in front of his Qu'ran.
And on the right was my brother, who was
staying with us at that time.
He was also murdered in cold blood.
This is the youngest of the hostages.
You can sit by me.
- [Narrator] His wife and six of his children were captured
with him, a miracle they are still alive.
The family will never forget the day Jihadists
attacked their home in Kolo Fata.
- I heard them yell, 'Allahu Akhbar',
the Boko Haram battle cry, and I heard them
try the door handle.
It was locked, so they shot it off.
And I thought, we're not going to make it out of here.
- [Narrator] The family was taken to Nigeria,
about 30 kilometers from Cameroun, in the Sambisa Forest.
Boko Haram's hideout, home to Islamist camps.
This is where these propaganda videos were filmed.
- Boko Haram is made up of Nigerians, Camerounians,
there were so many people there, it's no exaggeration
to say that there were at least 20,000 to 30,000 people.
- [Narrator] The couple was not abused,
but they witnessed horror.
- We saw people headed to a location as if
they were going to a football stadium,
but they were going to an execution point.
Executions had to be done publicly.
We saw other captives that were killed, shot,
heard the spectators cry as a victory.
When you see other captives being killed,
you wonder if your turn is next.
If you're considered an accomplice, or supporter
of the state, the army, the administration,
they will decapitate you.
They are convinced that each abominable act
they carry out, will be a bonus in paradise.
They believe that the West and the Jews
have oppressed Islam for the last 300 years.
And that now, it's time to put things in order.
For them, it's a global movement.
If you look at their flag, it's the same one in Syria
and Iraq.
They told the Chinese, we already have Muslims
fighting for us in China.
They even asked them if they would convert
to Islam when they returned.
And when I translated the question, they told me no.
I said to them, don't be stupid, just say yes.
After I explained, they understood.
- [Narrator] Since the king mayor's abduction,
military operations in Kolo Fata are increasingly intense.
- Distance, 50 meters minimum.
Risk of ambush.
- [Narrator] In Kolo Fata, the BIR are on the front line.
Their camp has been subjected to several attacks
and infiltration attempts.
They are on a war footing around the clock.
- I think they should wait for us at the checkpoint.
- [Narrator] This is their leader.
- The two of us will go in this vehicle.
- [Narrator] Commander (foreign name).
He's leaving this morning for an operation
with 50 men.
He counts on everyone being ready for the task at hand.
Every military convoy represents a target for Jihadists.
- Attention all taskforce.
Direction Tonga to join the PC.
Take the main road, move forward.
- [Narrator] Many vehicles are equipped
with heavy machine guns.
The convoy will travel nine kilometers on a high risk
path to reach Keraoua on the Nigerian border.
Boko Haram soldiers are using it as a rear base
to attack Cameroun.
Boko Haram films most of their attacks
for propaganda purposes.
The films show that the Islamists are very well armed
with weapons and ammunition abandoned
by the Nigerian military.
It is thanks to this arsenal that the group
has become a real army.
Four days ago, a land mine was detected on the road,
just minutes before the commander's convoy
drove through.
He wants to show us the exact location.
When stopped, we are more vulnerable.
In case Jihadists are hiding in the bush,
he deploys his men to survey the area around us.
- [Interpreter] Where was it, exactly?
- The land mine was placed here, so that the vehicle
would go over it and explode.
The landmine may seem very small, but the damage
would've been enormous.
We were informed by some sources who had seen them
place the explosive.
That's how we were able to find it and neutralize it.
- [Narrator] We arrive at the village of Keroua,
close to the Nigerian border.
- Hi guys, how are you?
- [Narrator] This is one of the Jihadist infiltration points
for entering Cameroun and expanding their territory
in francophone Africa.
- These checkpoints have been implemented
to reduce the risk of suicide attacks,
because we are targets.
Despite these efforts, we've had trouble.
There was an attack recently.
- [Interpreter] When was that?
- Four or five days ago.
We'll stop here.
- [Narrator] The villagers have gathered in the square.
This market was the scene of several kamikaze
attacks recently.
The last one took place ten days ago.
The villagers hate these Islamists, who
are constantly targeting them.
- Boko Haram are criminals, killers.
They kidnap our girls.
They kill our men.
We are so worried.
We Muslims, we pray for them to be wiped out.
They're really bad people.
- They have no moral limits.
They'll use pregnant women, children, women with babies.
Nothing is a transgression for them.
We're prepared for this now.
And so at our checkpoints, we don't lower our guard
for anyone, because we know that the enemy
will try to deceive us.
Reminder to increase vigilance.
We're approaching the border.
If the enemy is present, this will be an opportunity
to neutralize them immediately.
- The border is about 100 meters from our current position.
There, where the armored vehicle is.
This is one of the main entry points between
Nigeria and Cameroun.
- [Narrator] The final meters to the border
are the most dangerous.
The officer chooses to move forward between houses.
If we are targeted by Boko Haram, he and his men
could take refuge there to fire back.
- Everyone, maximum vigilance.
- [Narrator] We walk in the footsteps of his lieutenant.
He enters by the dry riverbed that marks the border.
Nigeria begins here.
- Now, we're at the mail, which marks
the separation between Keraoua, Cameroun,
and Keraoua, Nigeria.
- [Narrator] On the other side, the building seemed
to be deserted, but looks can be deceiving.
Boko Haram could be hiding there.
- [Interpreter] Are there Nigerian security forces there?
- No, currently, there is no security on that side.
- Let's go up to the platform, because there's
no security here.
The other side of the border is not being monitored
right now.
- [Narrator] The commander does not want to remain
out in the open any longer.
- This is a location that was originally occupied
by the Nigerian armies administration.
And then, the army was forced to withdraw,
at a certain point, and it became controlled
by Boko Haram.
The bullet holes you see on the walls are from that time.
After the fighting, the inhabitants deserted
the city, and now, there are only a few civilians
in this area.
- [Narrator] Some civilians and also probably
some Boko Haram soldiers hidden in the ruins.
We will not see them today.
- Hello, how are you?
You okay?
Children are the future of the country, and we hope
that our work will help them receive
the education they deserve.
- [Narrator] The officer's just been warned
that gun men are roaming in the bush.
- I've been told that there are 20 soldiers
on motor bikes between here and Kolo Fata.
They want to cause trouble.
But I say, great.
Let's see them try.
- [Narrator] Accomplices in the village might've
informed Boko Haram of our presence.
The commander fears that the Jihadists
will try something.
- We have to watch the foot traffic.
We have to limit contact with civilians.
With everyone.
How would we know if they had a bomb?
- [Narrator] He is suspicious of everyone.
- You there, move to one side.
Lift your shirt.
Turn around.
Lift again.
Okay, you can move forward.
- [Interpreter] Do you do this routinely,
with everyone who enters the village?
- Yes, we do this automatically, to screen people,
crossing (foreign name), or going towards Kolo Fata.
- Are they okay?
- Yes, they can come through. - It's fine.
- Is it aggravating to be searched all the time?
- It's fine, it allows them to see if someone
is hiding something, like a bomb.
Without checkpoints, bad people could get through.
- [Narrator] The commander prefers that we resume
our path before dark.
- [Interpreter] Has our presence here been noticed?
- Absolutely.
They're very much aware of it, and there
may be repercussions.
- [Narrator] We leave the BIR.
We return to Meroua, and Father Antonio's church.
The priest is one of the last Europeans in the region,
but he doesn't want to give in to fear.
After Mass, in the sacristy, he spoke to us
with candor.
- Praying is important, my brother Patrick.
We pray, because we're at war.
We're threatened.
- [Interpreter] Do you represent the devil for Boko Haram?
- Well, we represent a lot of things they don't agree with.
But that's how it is.
- [Interpreter] Because you're a foreigner?
- Yes, and from a culture that is, for them,
abominable.
Where we have so much freedom.
For them, we represent all the abominations.
(singing and laughing)
- [Narrator] Christians are a minority in the neighborhood
of his parish.
Islamist extremists could target the priest.
Father Antonio knows the risks involved.
- If you let fear penetrate your heart, it's over.
You can't stay here.
And we must stay here.
It's decisive.
And more important than what we do is the fact
that we are here, with these people,
through difficult times.
It's fighting them which is complicated.
- [Narrator] The movement has sworn allegiance to ISIS,
the terrorist group responsible for the Paris attacks
last November.
These images filmed by Boko Haram and recently broadcast
by CNN, show hundreds of Chibok schoolgirls
taken hostage by the Islamic group,
who appear to still be alive.
Boko Haram's leader, Abubakar Shekau,
would be inclined to cease fire, as this video
seems to reveal.
On the contrary, other combatants appear
to call for intensification of the conflict.