The history of boko haram boko harams origins lie in a group of radical islamist youth who worshipped at the alhaji muhammadu ndimi mosque in maiduguri a decade ago. It will examine the evolution of boko haram itself from islamic separatist sect using clubs and machetes to islamic terrorist group, using explosives against. After decades of vacillating between periods of military rule and democracy, punctuated by coups, the nigerian fourth republic began as general abdusalami abubakar peacefully handed over power to olusegun. The movement is unique in that it combines a sectarian, radical islamic agenda with violence. Boko harams campaign against education and enlightenment. From 200920, boko haram hasnt necessarily utilized selective assassinations, but rather the mass targeting of civilians. By providing an essential overview of the literature on boko haram and bridging research and current events, the authors cover a broad spectrum of topics and suggest relevant policies for addressing the problem of boko haram terrorism. In the general development of religiously justified violence, boko haram is the heir to a long jihad. But the sect also bid openly for territorial control and showed increasing willingness to confront nigerian forces in open battles. The history and development of boko haram insurgents group in north eastern nigeria can be divided into two phase. In 2009, it was assumed that boko haram was a spent force having suffered critical losses in its leadership. At about age eighteen, he moved to kano, in what is today northern nigeria, and began a career as a preacher.
Public opinion on the root causes of terrorism and objectives of terrorists. Addressing the boko haram insurgency in northern nigeria requires policymakers to look beyond western security templates of islamic terrorism to grasp the underlying causes of what is primarily a nigerian. He argues that the groups ideology is ultimately religiously focused, but draws on deep ethnic and cultural roots to recruit members and sustain its momentum. After all, boko haram has not received wide media coverage as did alqaeda or the islamic state, nor has it been linked in any consistent manner by analysts and. Introduction since the emergence of the boko haram terrorist group in nigerian many concerned people have reacted to it in so many different ways. Ajayi department of history, adeyemi college of education, p. About 3,000 people have been killed by boko haram in nigeria since 2009, with nearly half the number killed in 2012 alone. Terrorism, perception, root causes, objectives, boko haram, nigeria. Solomon sets outs to examine the causes of islamist terrorism and the failures of counterterrorism policy in africa focusing specifically on al shabaab in somalia, ansar dine in malia, and boko haram in nigeria.
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. Boko haram and sahelistan terrorism narratives cairn. However, as the chapters here discuss, this is an oversimplification of boko haram and the west needs to address the multiple dimension of boko haram. Group of the sunni people for the calling and jihad and nigerian talibanother translations and variants are usedis a nigeriabased group that seeks to overthrow the current nigerian government and replace it with a regime based on islamic law. As one of the few organisations with fieldbased expertise in the greater sahel and on all four countries caught. The threat from boko haram and ansaru the henry jackson society 7 leadership have recently surfaced. Confronting the terrorism of boko haram in nigeria forest confronting the terrorism of boko haram in nigeria james j. As boko haram continues its fight in northern nigeria, atta barkindo examines the cultural and ethnic ties of the insurgency. And its second phase of violent movement which started. Federal university lafia, nigeria abstract this paper explores the humanitarian impact of terrorism in nigeria from the standpoint of boko haram insurgency. The appearance of boko haram has started a terrorist dimension that was unfamiliar in the criminal history of. Download pdf boko haram and the war on terror free. Pdf new media and the challenges of boko haram terrorism.
Examining the boko haram insurgency in northern nigeria and the quest for a permanent resolution of the crisis joseph olukayode akinbi ph. Pdf abstract boko haram, the islamic radical sect from northeastern nigeria, has been responsible since 2009 for a string of bomb attacks. In september 2017, boko haram militants kidnapped about 40 young adults, women and children and killed 18 in the town of banki, km southeast of maiduguri, borno state, on the border of nigeria and cameroon. At least 50 nigerian soldiers killed in boko haram ambush. Nigerias history of poor governance and extreme poverty in the north.
The influence of yusuf metamorphosed boko harams principal objective. In 2015 the group began calling itself islamic state in west africa. 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. The history of an african jihadist movement princeton studies in muslim politics. What is boko haram, the militant group terrorizing nigeria. This comprehensive report examines boko harams extremist rhetoric, leadership, and history of violent activities. For western actors, boko haram is seen as part of the global war on terror and the fact that it has pledged allegiance to isis encourages this framing. The history of boko haram cannot be disentangled from the immense political change nigeria underwent during the 1999 transition to democracy. Therefore, this study aims to examine the threat of boko haram insurgency on nigerian national security system. Since 2009 the group has carried out largescale acts of violence. Boko haram, a militant group based in nigerias northwestern states of yobe and borno, claimed responsibility. Boko harams terrorism and the nigerian state springerlink. The rise of boko haram in nigeria combating terrorism.
This paper is a further contribution to addressing this issue but. Next, we summarize the history of boko haram and its activities. Boko haram still perpetrated regular acts of terrorism and continued to operate as a clandestine terrorist organization in some nigerian cities. A heavyhanded or solely military response will not bring peace and may be counterproductive.
Boko haram, a movement claiming to act in the name of is. Boko haram, which refers to itself as jamaatu ahl assunnah lidaawati waljihad jasdj. In 20, the shape of the boko haram conflict shifted. However, boko haram not only reemerged as a threat to nigeria, but its activities also placed it on the radar of international terrorism watchers with a. Cameroons foreign minister announced on 30 november 2014 that a coalition force to fight terrorism, including boko haram, would soon be operational. Many scholarly articles have been written by way of addressing this phenomenon. The state of insecurity engendered by boko haram insurgency in nigeria. Pdf searching for boko haram download ebook for free. Inside terrorism columbia studies in terrorism and irregular warfare. The boko haram terrorism, which began in 2009 has had a devastating impact on the society. View cnn s fast facts on boko haram and learn more about the militant islamic group based in nigeria, whose purpose is to institute sharia, or islamic law. Boko harams story begins with a preacher named mohammed marwa, born in 1927.
Public opinion on the root causes of terrorism and objectives of. So far, it has triggered one of the worst humanitarian crises in history and has been responsible for over 30 thousand deaths with over two million others. Boko haram, islamic sectarian movement founded in 2002 in northeastern nigeria. Boko haram is a radical islamist movement shaped by its nigerian context and reflecting.
Boko haram was reported to have killed 380 people between april and september 2017 in the lake chad area. The impact of boko haram insurgency on nigerian national. National consortium for the study of terrorism and responses to terrorism. Boko haram was founded in 2002 by a charismatic, radical cleric named mohammed yusuf, who gained support by speaking out against the rampant corruption and inequality in oilrich nigeria. In 20, boko haram kidnapped a family of seven french tourists on vacation in cameroon and two months later released the hostages along with 16 others in exchange for. This is against the backdrop of the rising spate of violent attacks. Forest jsou report 125 may 2012 joint special operations university 7701 tampa point boulevard macdill afb fl 33621. Only by closely examining boko haram s history in northeast. This essay will explore a brief history and legacy of islam and colonialism in nigeria, and the current social and the economic conditions that gave rise to boko haram s agenda. Led by yusufs companion abubakar shekau, boko haram bombed major targets, including in the capital, abuja, and perpetrated. Pdf since the july 2009 boko haram terrorist outburst in nigeria, there have been increasing questions on the phenomenon in the country. This book assesses the effectiveness of nigerias counterterrorist policies against. Boko haram is said to have raised substantial sums from kidnap for ransom. For years, boko haram has been conducting a lethal jihadist insurgency in the countrys north to drive out government forces and establish an islamic state.
History of boko haram founded in the muslimdominated northern nigeria in 2002 by mohammed yusuf, boko haram was originally labeled as the nigerian taliban because of its ideology and methods. Introduction for some, it may come as a surprise that, in 2014, boko haram was the deadliest terrorist organization in the world. This article examines both of these aspects of boko haram as an example of religious violence. Boko harams religious and political worldview by alex thurst on. The attack, one of the deadliest recently, came as the military tried to launch an offensive against. Boko harams leader, abubakar shekau, released a video on may 5, threatening to sell the girls as wives and citing ideological opposition to the education of young girls. In 2002, an offshoot of this youth group not yet known as boko haram declared the city and the islamic establishment to be intolerably corrupt and irredeemable. While boko harams motivations are ostensibly religious, the primary focus is on socioeconomic inequality. The history of an african jihadist movement supersedes everything that has been written so far on the development of this enigmatic jihadist movement in northeastern nigeria. Boko haram, insurgency, international terrorism, humanitarian crisis, nigeria, isil. Based on years of research in northern nigeria as well as his knowledge of a vast number of primary sources in both arabic and hausa, thurston is able to. According to a september 20 house of representatives homeland security committee report, the aqim boko haram collaboration is a mature relationship that allows boko haram an avenue to advance its capability, and. Pdf public opinion on the root causes of terrorism and. Nation listing entry describes boko haram as an affiliate of alqaeda and also one of the organisations of alqaeda in the islamic maghreb aqim reuters, 2014.
Currently, boko haram seeks to overthrow the secular nigerian government and enforce antiwestern sharia based government. Boko haram in nigeria the latest news from al jazeera. On tuesday, april 15, 2014, the terrorist organization boko haram attacked a girls school in chibok, borno state, in northern nigeria, abducting between 250300 young school girls. In the framework of west african history, boko haram can be. The violent rise and resilience of the jihadist group boko haram in the lake chad basin since 2009 poses enormous security, humanitarian and governance challenges.
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