Trafficking and the Boko Haram Conflict: The Not So Good, the Bad, and the Outright Ugly

Abstract

This paper focuses on the situation affecting women and girls who are trafficked within the Boko Haram conflict. It navigates the entrenched cultural and traditional norms existing in the geographical area and how the conflict poses a double jeopardy for women and girls who are already marginalized. The added element of trafficking as another author calls it builds the arsenal of Boko Haram. This crisis within a crisis looks at the nexus between trafficking, and the Boko Haram conflict is categorized as the “not so good,” the “bad,” and the “outright ugly.” The abductions of the Chibok and the Dapchi girls are examples which are discussed, as well as the stigma that survivors undergo. The women, peace, and security agenda, the role of the media, and the role of female hunters provide avenues for addressing the issue. The paper ends with a set of recommendations.