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The Nigerian State in Arms: It Begins

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Boko Haram’s Terrorism and the Nigerian State

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Abstract

This chapter presents the background to the strategies adopted by the Nigerian government to counter Boko Haram. It critically examines the counter-terrorism strategies adopted by the Nigerian government, highlights the motivation for the choice of these measures, and investigates the factors responsible for the state’s failure to rid the country of the terror of Boko Haram. The chapter also provides a preliminary analysis of the historical antecedents of the Nigerian state. It reviews the origins of religious conflict in the country and presents an overview of the politics of diversity that reinforces violent conflict among groups and against the state, as well as the socio-economic and political realities that led to the emergence and sustained presence of Boko Haram. Finally, practical policy options are recommended to combat Boko Haram and other armed groups that employ similar tactics.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Sharia is the Muslim legal code. Its foundation comprises the Quran, the Sunna (the traditions coming from Prophet Mohammed himself), the kiyas (analogical deductions from other sources) and Ijma (agreement among Islamic jurists) (Aborisade and Mundt 2002). Muslims consider the Quran to contain God’s message which includes social, political, economic and legal systems based on Sharia that guide all aspects of human behaviour (Khan 2013).

  2. 2.

    Jihad is the strong resolution of the individual believer to follow God’s commandments and shun worldly temptations. It also has a physical manifestation as the defence of Islam is the responsibility of each believer. The concept of Jihadism aligns with this latter meaning. Jihadism can be described as an excessive political ideology symbolizing divine efforts to extend Islam across the world by engaging in a war against unbelievers (Brinkel and Ait-Hida 2012).

  3. 3.

    The Global Terrorism Index is an all-embracing study which reveals the direct and indirect effects of terrorism in 130 countries in terms of lives lost, injuries sustained, property damaged and the psychological aftereffects of terrorism (Institute for Economics and Peace 2016).

  4. 4.

    “Al-Shabaab is an extremist organisation that controls most of Southern and Central Somalia. It learned its strategy and tactics from al Qaeda and the Taliban and relies on a relatively small number of foreign fighters, most of whom are Somalis with foreign passports from the large Somalis in diaspora” (Shinn 2011: 203). Megged (2015) states that “it is a jihadist group based in Somalia with its allegiance to the international Islamist outfit Al Qaeda. It draws its membership from youths between 15 and 45 years of age both Somalis natives and foreigners. It has posed major threat and attacks to the Eastern region especially Kenya and Somalia.” Kenya has introduced measures to check the group’s activities within its territory. Al-Shabaab is also active in Uganda (Buchanan-Clarke and Lekalake 2016).

  5. 5.

    “The word Almajiri is derived from the Arabic word ‘Almuhajirun’ migrants. It refers to a traditional method of acquiring and memorizing the Glorious Quran in Hausa/Fulani land where boys at their tender ages are sent out by their parents or guardians to other villages, towns or cities for Qur’an education under a knowledgeable Islamic scholar called Mallam” (Yusha’u et al. 2013: 126). This is common practice in Northern Nigeria. The Mallams’ inability to feed these students results in the children roaming the streets begging for food. This makes them vulnerable to being enlisted for crime and violent acts.

  6. 6.

    Ansaru shares the beliefs of Boko Haram, although there are differences in modus operandi. Firstly, Ansaru is committed to not harming innocent Muslims except for self-defence while Boko Haram harms Muslims irrespective of circumstances. Secondly, Ansaru is against the killing of innocent security personnel. Finally, Ansaru proclaims itself to be upholding Islamic interests across West Africa and the entire continent while Boko Haram is confined to to Northern Nigeria (Mohammed 2014) although it has international affiliations and carries out attacks in Cameroon, Niger and Chad.

  7. 7.

    The CVE is a counter-radicalisation and deradicalisation program. Counter-radicalisation involves religious, cultural, communication and governance components. It includes inter-faith dialogue, an Imam training program, promoting research on Islam, creating a database on Islamic institutions and focusing on extracurricular activities for youth such as sport. The deradicalisation aspect is prison oriented. The objective is to inculcate theological, ideological, physical and entrepreneurial values among extremists that will transform their behavior (The Nigerian Observer, 17th October 2014). This program is not discussed in this book as it is a confidential document that is not in the public domain.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Social Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa

    Olumuyiwa Temitope Faluyi

  2. School of Social Science, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa

    Sultan Khan

  3. Faculty of Commerce, Administration & Law, University of Zululand, KwaDlangezwa, South Africa

    Adeoye O. Akinola

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  1. Olumuyiwa Temitope Faluyi
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  2. Sultan Khan
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  3. Adeoye O. Akinola
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Temitope Faluyi, O., Khan, S., Akinola, A.O. (2019). The Nigerian State in Arms: It Begins. In: Boko Haram’s Terrorism and the Nigerian State. Advances in African Economic, Social and Political Development. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-05737-4_1

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