TERRORISM IN NIGERIA: THE CASE OF BOKO HARAM (original) (raw)

Terrorism in Nigeria: A Case Study of Boko Haram

ALIMI Etsu , 2013

The cycle of violence being unleashed on Nigerians by the fundamentalist group, Boko Haram has heightened fears among the populace and the international community that the hostility has gone beyond religions or political coloration hence the need to carry out this research. The study is made up of five (5) chapters. Chapter one takes an introductory look into terrorism in Nigeria viz a viz activities of Boko Haram. Chapter two examined different scholars’ views on Boko Haram as a terrorist group in Nigeria. Relevant theories to the study were also examined. Chapter three encapsulated the methodology used in carrying out this study. It spells out the population of the study which already resides in the topic and the sample size for the study. Analysis and description of detailed presentation of results and discussion of the study based on the data gathered in the course of this research forms the body of chapter four. Responses based on 95 questionnaires that are valid are used to examine the existence, activities and effect of Boko Haram on the Nigerian State. The response to the questionnaire was summarized in series of tables, grouped according to the research questions of the problem under investigation and analyzed using the simple percentage method. And of course, chapter five contains summary, conclusion and recommendations of this study. Certain key recommendations were made among which are reduction of drivers of extremism, intelligence gathering, enhanced surveillance, de radicalization etc.

The Phenomenon of Boko Haram Terrorism in Nigeria

SpringerBriefs in Political Science, 2015

This paper provides the background and context for understanding terrorism and that of Nigeria in particular. It introduces a philosophical approach towards the conceptualization of terrorism so as to show the philosophical debates around the phenomenon and the significance thereof for the 'root causes' explanation, with a fairly focused attention to Boko Haram in Nigeria. The paper provides a road map to descriptive underpinnings of the general political economy of Nigeria and its tendency to fuel terrorism, and other forms of political violence. The objective of this chapter is to problematize the phenomenon of Boko Haram terrorism in Nigeria.

Towards Understanding the Boko Haram Phenomenon in Nigeria

Asian Social Science, 2015

Current international media reports on Nigeria indicate that it is having some serious security challenges arising from the destructive activities of Boko Haram insurgent group. Furthermore, similar reports show that attempts by the Nigerian government to overcome the problem appear to be in effective resulting in loss of lives and properties almost on a daily basis. Thus, prompting the government to seek for international support from United States of America, China and other European states. Against these aforementioned developments, this paper attempts to examine the evolution, operational strategy, effects of Boko Haram insurgent group's activities and response of the Nigerian government. The paper employed qualitative research method and specifically used content analysis to review existing secondary data relating to Boko Haram phenomenon. Among the findings of the paper is that, Boko Haram phenomenon which emerged in 2002 within the NorthEastern state of Borno as a peaceful religious sect has been transformed into a deadly terror organization. Political, external forces and lack of comprehensive approach by the Nigerian government have been identified as some of the factors which contributed in worsening the situation. As a result several lives and properties have been lost. It is therefore, the opinion of the paper that while attempting to overcome the challenges posed by the insurgent group, Nigerian government should at the same time begin to address some of the issues that led to their emergence and spread.

The Evolution, Development and Influence of Boko Haram. A Critical Terrorism Study

2014

With the increasing presence of terror, Islamic extremism and radicalism in Africa, linkages between militant and terror groups cannot be overlooked or underestimated when studying the phenomenon. Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and their affiliated splinter groups’ ever-present activity in North and West Africa combined with unsettling terror in Nigeria make for this study’s importance. Since this region’s emergence as a hub for international terrorism, Boko Haram, a largely domestic group in Nigeria, has become one of the main players on the terror-front. Although Boko Haram’s grievances are rooted in cultural cleavages, and a sense of injustice regarding identity affiliation, the international community have become very familiar with, and apprehensive towards the group. This can all be attributed to a recent event, which in the context of the group’s history and operations is not necessarily a new phenomenon. The kidnapping of young girls in Nigeria has suddenly racked the international media’s attention, raising issues regarding Boko Haram which have been issues long before the social media increased awareness, especially by using the very popular #bringbackourgirls handle on the social media site, Twitter. The conflict in Nigeria can be described as a conflict between different identities in the country. It is, however, important to remember that a variety of identities do not necessarily lead to conflicts. The fact that a country has several ethnic or religious groups does not make conflict inevitable; it is only when mobilisation around identities occurs or they are politicised that they constitute the basis for conflict.

THE NATURE, PROCESSS, CAUSES, EFFECTS AND THE MANAGEMENT OF BOKO HARAM PHENOMENON IN NIGERIA;

This paper uses an appealing and but rather neglected hypothetical discussion in order to shed light on the discourse of terrorism that spread through the Nigerian States, and present a class theory of terrorism based on the study of Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria. This short but theory states that terrorism is an expression of an unending class struggle implicit in the hidden structures of oppression and structured contradictions of global capitalist system. The aggressive class relations between the ruling class and the lumpen class translate into state and individual terrorism that has featured prominently in the recent times. Through this perspective, it is argued that: the discursive frame of terrorism cannot be analyzed in isolation of its class nature and the socio-economic conditions that gave rise to it. Boko Haram insurgency is a potentially useful model for the case discussed, thereby making it possible to develop an analytical construct and explanation for terrorism across societies. The paper concludes that as long as the rife socioeconomic problems caused by the insurgents remain, the use of individual terrorism will inevitably become a recurrent event or normal social response to the state of affairs, thereby providing ways to curbing the act in the Nigeria societies.

Terrorism and Insurgency in Northern Nigeria: A Study of the Origins and Nature of Boko Haram

his study attempts to unravel the characteristics of the Boko Haram sect in northern Nigeria. The activities of the group became profound in 2009; terrorism and insurgency were identified as its major strategies. This paper engaged qualitative methods and made broad use of secondary sources. The group made greater impact in Nigeria than previous extremist groups such as Maitatsine and Shiite group, hence the need to understand its evolution, ideology and motivation. The group was discovered to have expansionist tendencies with foreign support of other Islamic fundamentalist organizations. Three motivations of the sect were pointed out to include religious extremism, resentment over the killing of their members and poverty. Among its famous attacks were the bombing of Nigeria Police Force Headquarters and the UN House both in Abuja and in 2011. It also carried out the Christmas day bombing at St Theresa Catholic Church in Madalla near Abuja on 25 December, 2011. The federal government, the international community and other stakeholders took initiatives to end the onslaught through coercion, sanctions, offers of dialogue, negotiation and amnesty but all these have so far failed to bring an end to the hostilities. This study gave a number of recommendations to mitigate this prolonged crisis and concluded by underlining the importance of addressing the root causes of the problems such as poor governance, poverty among others.

The Perspective of Terrorism: The Evolution of Boko Haram into a Terrorist Organization in Nigeria

This research explores the theoretical categorization of Boko Haram as a terrorist organization and the effects of extrajudicial killing and an ineffective judicial system in providing a fertile ground for terrorism in Nigeria. This paper outlines a theory for the origin and evolution of terrorism and argues that human rights violations by state actors in northeastern Nigeria created a conducive environment for the growth and sustainability of Boko Haram in the region. It specifies the extent to which human rights abuses have contributed to making Boko Haram a terrorist organization in Nigeria. I found out that the extrajudicial killing of Boko Haram founder Mohammed Yusuf and some of his dependable allies by the state actors and the failure of the judiciary system and law enforcement to punish the perpetrators played a significant role in converting Boko Haram into a terrorist group. Thus the constant human rights violations by state actors and heavy-handedness of some overzealous law enforcement agents against defenseless citizens led to the transformation of Boko Haram from an Islamic Movement to an Islamic Terrorist Extremist group. It can be claimed that the Islamic group used these human right violation as excuses to further their ideology. This paper further examines the role of Al-Qaeda and other Sunni terrorist groups as sources of Boko Haram funding. Also analyzed are the global attention Boko Haram attacks has received, arms deals of Boko Haram and the effects of Nigeria border porosity.

Boko Haram Insurgence in Nigeria: ACritical Examination

Nigeria is at present in a state of chaos, especially in relation to order and spirit of oneness as a nation. The greatest harm to the nation at present is the consistent use of religious sentiments to destroy the remaining strings of the nation's unity and cohesion as observable in the callous destructive tendencies of the Islamic sect called Boko Haram.

Boko Haram: A Theoretical and Historical Analysis of Insurgency in Nigeria

Boko Haram is an Islamic sect that has been operating in Nigeria since the beginning of the 2000s and is among the world’s most active militant Islamist groups. Their aim is to rid Nigeria of corrupt politicians, non-Muslims and Christians by waging “holy war” against them with the aim of creating a “pure” Islamic state founded on, and governed by Sharia law. To enact this goal, they have killed more than 5,000 civilians between July 2009 and June 2014, including at least 2,000 in the first half of 2014, in attacks occurring mainly in northeast, north central and central states of Nigeria. Given that Nigeria has not seen insurgency of this kind since its civil war has led many scholars, writers and lay men to analyze Boko Haram from an immediate perspective, focusing mainly on the effects of their insurgency, discussing and laying emphasis on the maim and chaos they are responsible for, including citing ways to prevent them from causing more harm; Important nonetheless, this thesis proposes that given the nations socioeconomic, political and religious structure and history, isolating the group and its activities from the nation’s historical background of religious, political and economic tension is not the most holistic level of analysis. Rather, this thesis studies Boko Haram, drawing from history and theoretical concepts to explain the reason why insurgency of this kind is thriving in Nigeria; the thesis discusses the role that religious fundamentalism, and ethnic diversity as well as the role that socioeconomic, ethno-religious and political factors have played in the development of insurgency in Nigeria, in order to provide a holistic and multidimensional understanding of the insurgent phenomenon that is Boko Haram.

Terrorism in Nigeria: The Case of the Boko Haram

2015

This work examines the complex phenomenon of global terrorism in a fast evolving International Order (the New World Order) that is driven by the wheel of globalization as a historical process. The discourse is domesticated within the Nigeria geographical space with the onslaught of the Boko Haram attack on the Nigerian state; its premier institutional bulwark represented by the military and its vulnerable populations as case study. The article presents Nigeria as a deeply divided society that is exploited by the terrorist to their advantage. The work contained herein is anchored on the failed state and the relative deprivation theoretical model to sustain its thrust and give meaning to the arguments articulated. The methodology depended-on for data leans heavily on the analysis of secondary sources within the traditional liberal and social science orientations. Finally, the article presents a set of recommendations that could contribute in the reversal of the grounds covered by the ...