US intelligence officers say that the Boko Haram sect looks to be planning an attack on Maiduguri, a city with 2 million people in North-East Nigeria. This, it says, could mean 200,000 Christians could be at 'risk of slaughter.'

J. Peter Pham said: "An attack on Madiguri is very likely,” and he and a couple of experts believe that the terrorists have put “sleeper cells” among refugees who have fled areas where the group attacked.

He also hinted that the sect may be planning to hoist its black flag over Maiduguri, which he says would be a big blow to the Nigerian government.