Abstract
Book Haram figuratively implies that western for nonIslamic education is
a sin, is a very controversial Nigeria militant group that seeks for the
imposition of sharia law in the entire northern states of Nigeria. The
hierarchical structure of the group is not presently well defined. The official
name of the group id jamaiatu Ahlis sunna lidda ―awai waljihad, which in Arabic
translate to ―people committed to the propagation of the prophet‘s teaching and
jhad‖ literally therefore the group means ―Association of sunn‘s for the
propagation of Islamic and for Holy war (jihad) and Islamized northern stats of
Nigeria and probably conquer the entire country through jihad. So far, the
group has been waging the war successfully in it area of stronghold. Book Haram
made its presence known in 2004, in Yobe states, and by 2011, it made its
presence known to the global community by bombing the United Nations
Headquarters in Abuja, especially in the last two years, it has willfully
attacked hundreds of buildings and killing many innocent Nigerians. In spite of
the calamity the group has caused the government seems not to know how to clip
the group‘s wings. In this research work, therefore, effort will be made to
philosophically and legally appraise the group activities and its implications
on Nigerian National integration. We will look at the socio-economic
implication of the group in Nigeria economic development also the drive of the
Boko Haram insurgence in Nigeria and possible suggest solutions that will
assist in curtailing their activities in Nigeria.
Table of Contents
Title
Page----------------------------------------------------i
Approval
Page-----------------------------------------------ii
Dedication------------------------------------------------iii-iv
Acknowledgement----------------------------------------v-ix
Abstract-------------------------------------------------------x
Table of
Contents---------------------------------------xi-xii
Chapter One: General Introduction
1.1 Background of
the Study---------------------------
1.2 Statement of the
Problem-------------------------
1.3 Objective of the
Study-------------------------------
1.4 Literature
Review ---------------------------------
1.5 Significance of
the Study-------------------------
1.6 Theoretical
Framework-----------------------------
1.7 Hypotheses------------------------------------------
1.8 Methods of Data
collection and Analysis------------
1.9 Scope and
Limitations of the Study-------------------
1.10 Operationalization of
Concepts------------------
Chapter Two.
The Driving Force Of The Boko Haram Insurgence
2.1 Historical Analysis of the Boko
Haram Insurgence.
2.2 The Drive of Poverty.
2.3 The Drive of Unemployment
Chapter Three:
Implication of the Boko Haram Insurgence
3.1 Implication on Economic
Development
3.2 Implication on National
Integration
3.3 Implication on Nigeria‘s Foreign
Relations
Chapter Four:
Strategies for Addressing the Menace of the
Boko Haram Insurgence
4.1 The Strategy of Coercion
4.2 The Strategy of Legal Response
4.3. The Strategy of Dialogue and
Negotiation
Chapter Five: Summary, Conclusion and Recommendations
5.1
Summary----------------------------------
5.2
Conclusion--------------------------------
5.3.
Recommendations-----------------------
Bibliography-----------------------------
CHAPTER ONE
GENERAL INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
Nigeria as a nation-state is under a sever internal
socio-economic and security threat. As a more general level, the threat has
social, economic, political and environmental dimensions. Each of these
dimensions has greatly affected the nation‘s stability, and can be traced to
the ethnic militia armies, ethnic and religious conflicts, poverty, terrorism,
armed robbery, corruption, economic sabotage, and environmental degradation
(Ilufoye, 2009). Boko Haram insurgence becomes
the major problem facing Nigerians in the recent time. These groups have
perpetrated several bombing that have killed millions of innocent citizens of
this country Nigeria and also caused the destruction of both private and public
properties worth of billion of naira. This derives from their bid to make
people in the north east geo-political zone of Nigeria to embrace their view on
Islamic Nigeria code and western education.
The predominant threat and
security challenges in the area are emendating from un-abating attacks on
Nigerian citizens, individuals, public and governmental installations,
kidnapping and destruction of properties. All these effect of Boko Haram
activities are serious crime against the Nigeria state, which has threatened
its national security and socio-economic activities. This has posed a great
challenges to the ground strategy for national security of which the primary
aim is ―to strengthen the federal republic of Nigeria to advance her interest
and objectives, to contain instability, control crime, quality of life of every
citizens, improve the well fare and the eliminate corruption‖ (Damba-zau
2007:51) Boko Haram activities, has
destabilized socioeconomic activities. Increased crime and destruction of both
life and property of Nigerian citizens. This can be attested to by the mass
movement of people living in northern part of the country most especially
maiduguri, which is the capital of Borno State. This situation has made it
impossible for the citizens in that part ―Northren‖ of Nigeria to carry on
their legitimate businesses. It is also scaring foreign investors out of the
country. Students have been forced to flee their schools. The gravity of the crisis has made some
government to vow never to allow Nigerians students from their state to go to
the Northern part of Nigeria for anything. Boko Haram activities also effected
the posting of students of southern and eastern extradition on national youth
service corps
(NYSC) to the north, to the extent that parents are strongly resisting
the posting of their children as copper to the north.
Boko Haram itself, is a fatal blow
to the noble objective of the scheme as a unifying strategy, the unity of
Nigerian is seriously threatened by Boko Haram fundamentalist sect and
therefore, considered to be a major potential terrorist threat affecting
Nigerian mostly on the part of socio-economic activities of the country.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
Boko Haram activities was
described by us intelligence agents in
November 2011 ―as a local salafist group attacking Christians and local police
stations with matchet and poison tipped arrows in Nigeria‘s northeastern Borno
state. According to him:
Boko Haram is a way of thinking, it is politically driven,
they are loosely organized grassroots insurrection against not only the Abuja
government but the traditional Muslim establishment
as well.
(Campbell, 2011).
After nearly a decade of violence,
Nigeria government still does not have an
effective strategy for dismantling the group. The terrorist organization preys
on the disillusioned Muslims of the north, who are fed up with corruption. And
have few economic opportunities, Nigeria is a heterogeneous country divided by
two religious beliefs aside traditional religion. The northern half of the
country is almost completely Muslim (50 per cent of the total Nigerians
population) and the southern half is mostly dominated by Christians (40 per
cent of the total Nigerians population). Originating in the Muslim dominated
northern region of the country, the movement other rejected everything deemed
western. The activities of these groups ―Boko Haram‖ grew its ranks by taking
advantages of the widespread anger in the north over the country‘s gap. In the
north, 72 percent of the population live below the poverty line, compared to
only 22 percent in the southern part
Christopher (Bartolta, 2011)
The political goal of Boko Haram
sect is to create an Islamic nation in the twelve northern states of Nigerians,
eventually, spreading to the rest of the country. From its inception Boko Haram
viewed Nigeria as a state or a country running by non-believers and made the
government its main target, ever when the country had a Muslim president.
Therefore, this research work seeks
to find the following:
1. Is poverty inducing the Boko Haram
insurgency in Nigeria?
2. Does the ―Boko Haram‖ insurgence have
any socioeconomic implication on Nigerians development?
3. Is dialogue a desideration to the
Boko Haram menace in Nigeria?
1.3 Objectives of the Study
The broad objectives of the study
are to examine the activities of the Boko Haram and its socio- economic
implication on Nigeria‘s development. Using Boko
Haram terrorism in Nigeria as a case study. To achieve this,
specifically, this research work is designed to examine the following:
1. To determine if poverty is inducing
the Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria
2. To assess the socio-economic
implication of Boko Haram insurgence on the nation.(Nigeria)
3. To determine if dialogue is a
desideration to the
Boko Haram menace in Nigeria
1.4 Literature Review
Literature review has to do with what
other scholars and authors have contributed to this study so far. The term
―terrorism‖ refers to the systematic use of threat of violence to communicate
to political massage rather than defeat an opponent, military force. Thus, the
targets of terrorism are symbolic and the victims of terrorism represent a
wider audience. To achieve a maximum shock effective, terrorist violence is
usually dramatic and provocative.
Typically, small number of extremists who otherwise
lack the capacity to challenge those in power resort to terrorism. A defining
characteristics of terrorism is that its users expects rewards that are of
proportionate to both the resources. They posses and the risk they assume:
Terrorism is furthermore strategies that are not restricted
to any particular ideology (smlter and Beltes, 2001).
According to Reich 1998, as a
strategy of resistance to the modem state, terrorism emerged some half century
after the French revolution, when the term originated as a description of the
state regime of terror. Russia revolutionaries and anarchist in French, Spain,
Italy and German established terrorism as a central mechanism in attempt to
over throw the established regimes, most of which were autocratic in the
submission of Lain mclean terrorism as a pejorative term, also applies to the
deeds of government of sovereign state. According to Lain Mclean, an term
―state sponsored terrorism‖, is often used to described the conduct of various
government indirectly organizing or indirectly assisting perpetration of
violence acts in other state. Lain Mclean argued that in recent time, many
countries of divergent ideological persuasion have engaged in this kind of
activities while in some cases strictly condemning others forms practices (Lain
Mclean, 1996). Meanwhile, terrorism is a contested concept that resist precise
definition. Since the term is both elastic and emotionally powerful, it lend
itself to subjective interpretation driven by political rather than analytical
purposes, it is also difficult to distinguish terrorism from other forms of
violence. Such as, for example querilla warfare or criminal activities, if
terrorism is defined in terms of the intension behind the action, is it
possible to know those intension? What
is the relationship between religion and terrorism, be noncombatants for
example?. If so are attacks on security target act of terrorism?
Though, there is no official
definition of terrorism agreed on through out the world, and definitions tend
to rely heavily on who is doing the definition and for what purpose. Some
definition focus on terrorist tactics to defined the term, while others focus
on the actor. Ethnic separatist, violence in the 1930‘s provoked the League of
Nations formed after world war 1 to encourage world stability and peace to
defined terrorism for the first time as:
All criminal acts directed against a state and intended or
calculated to create a state of terror in the mind of particular persons or
group of persons or the general public. (League of Nation convection definition
of terrorism, 1937).
Therefore, bringing to our understanding that Boko Haram sect is
pre-occupied with carrying out various degree of attacks on civilians, usually
used by the powerless against powerful;
International terrorism interludes
terrorists attacking a foreign targets other than within own country or abroad
(Rurke 2008:316).
This means that September 11, 2011 attack was an international terrorism
while one of the attacks by the Boko Haram sect such as the police stations
attacks is a domestic terrorism. But it becomes complicated if the Boko Haram
sect is still a domestic terrorism group despites it seeming connection with
other international sect such as Hamas and Alqueda. According to Claver
(2002:302), he stated that terrorism is the use of force to impact fear with a
view to bring about political, economic or social change‖ Recently, terrorism
has been endemic in all parts of the countries in the world. Cleavert went on
to explain that:
It is true, as is often repeated that man‘s terrorist is
another is an extreme example of an essential contested concept and its
preacher‘s finds to polarize at extent that renders it extremely difficult to
return to normal politics (Claver, 2002:303).
Drawing from the above assertion,
indicated how terrorism can lead to socio-economic underdevelopment of a
country, though he was not elaborate, but it is worthy to appreciate his view
that the practice of terrorism group makes the society difficult to return to
normal politics. This can be deduced from the activities of the Boko Haram
insurgence in Nigeria which has been destabilizing socio-economic activities in
the northern part of the country.
Also terrorism are viewed from a
complete different angel by many authors among also includes Heywood. In his
own view, he explained three (3) dimensions of terrorism. According to him:
The term is highly controversial first the distinction or
warfare is burred by the fact that the later may also aim to stake fear in to
wider population, secondly, as the term is highly prerogative, it stands to be
used selectively (one person‘s terrorist
is another person‘s freedom fighter) thirdly, although terrorism is usually
conceived as an antigovernmental activities, government can employ terror
against their own or other population, as in the case of terrorism in the state
(Heywood, 2007:382)
This assertion of Heywood brings to out mind that interregional terrorism
can take different and many forms whatever means these activities are
perpetrated, the contention of this research is that it directly leads to
underdevelopment. This is especially in the areas of these states still batting
with the problem of development.
Remarkable a very distant variant
of terrorism is that of Mbah (2008:139) stated that:
Terrorism as a deialedt necessity as well as the product of
globalization and the expression of it, and because this relations is a class
relation, the relevant division is an antagonistic one, which creates
contradictory class intersection.
This is a very sharp contribution
to the issue of terrorism. But the fact is still that none of this authors have
been able to point out or suggest that terrorism either domestic or
international, direct or indirectly lead to underdevelopment:
Goldia et al 92005:201) stated that:
Government appeals hind to portray terrorism simply as criminal
violence assaults on society that cannot be justified as serving a political
cause.
Terrorism, typically, it has a political objective that makes it a
pervasive form of political conflict partied by indefinable modes of political leadership and
participation. The above assertion tries to example the structures of the Boko
Haram insurgence in Nigeria. This is because, if it is believed that the group
shuns the politics of the northern part of Nigeria and agitating for imposition
of sharia law. Hence, while this version partly discuss the common modes of
terrorist operation that occurs in democratic politics, we should be aware of
the violence that can occur when democratic system breaks down
1.5 Significance of the Study
All individual lives in a world prone to crisis. No
nation is free from crisis. Violence is now endemic in human relations. The
global threat of terrorism respect no boundaries or borders. Nigeria is not
free from these threat, emanating from Boko Haram activities. Therefore, the
debating questions are:
1. What is the nature of this threat?
2. Have the security agencies handled
the situation well?
3. What have gone wrong with the
strategy employed
4. How should government respond
responding to these recent terrist bombing?
5. Can militaristic approach without
more work, work?
6. Are there lessons to be leant in the
ways of other countries handles such threat‖ This research work will attempt to
answer these questions, and build up relevant literatures on Islamist
fundamental, and contributes to academic, professional and security at large as
it enlightens, develops and inform citizens and government of the reoccurring
activities of domestic terrorists and making of possible for policy makers to
strategize measures to handle the conflict in Nigeria.
Beyond serving as an addition to
already existing literature, it will serve as a practical guide for those in
the field of criminal investigation departments, anti- terrorism or counter
insurgence.
This study is thereby motivated by strong desire to contribute to the
ranging dissolution its socio-economic implication on Nigeria‘s development. It
is therefore, hoped that this study will be relevant and of benefits to the
students and scholars of political science, history, intelligent and security
studies and the society at large.
1.6 Theoretical Framework
According to Ohara (2003:63), knowledge does not exist
in a vacuum. In every descriptive, there is a body of theories that provides
the explanation for observable phenomena in that field. This section attempt to
draw analogy between established theories and the problem being investigated
where such analogies drawn even support the importance of the study. The theoretical requirement of this work is
draw from frustrationaggression theory which I believe provided a detailed
explanation for the emergence of ―Boko Haram‖ insurgence in Nigeria. The theory
was propounded and developed by John Dollard and his research associates
initially developed in 1939 and has been expanded and modified by school like
Leonard Berlowitz (1962) and Audrey Yales (1962). The theory properly created
the analogy used within this research to explain the dynamics in Boko Haram
terrorism.
According to John Dollard (1939) he explained that it
seems to be that most common explanation for violent behaviour stemmed from
inability to fulfill needs. In attempts to explain aggression, scholars points
to the difference between what people feel they want or deserve to what they
actually gets the ―want get-ratio‖ (teocrabends 1969) and difference between
―expected need satisfaction‖ and actual need satisfaction (Davies, 1960). When
expectation does not meet attainment the tendency is for people to confront
those hold responsible for frustrating their ambitions. Therefore, frustration
aggression provides that aggression is not just undertaking as a natural
reaction or instinct as realist and biological theorist assumes but that is the
outcome of frustration and that is in a situation where the desire of an
individual is denied either directly or by the indirectly consequence of the
way the society is structured, the feeling of disappointment may lead such a
person to express his anger through violence that will be directed those he
holds responsible or people who are directly or indirect related to them
(Akwen, 2011:52-53).
As described by John Dollard, that most common
explanation for violence behaviour is instability to fulfill needs. According
to Bishop Mathew Hassan Kukah, states that ―Boko Haram terrorism is a product
of bad government and corruption and therefore, fueled by politics (Mayor
2011). In Nigeria, approximately 76 percent of northern on less than one dollar
per day. School are un- finance and the standard of education is so poor that
graduate are often unfit for employment. The worst of it all is the Nigerian
government poor responses to the northern desire on economic and security
conditions which has fueled resentment, making many young men vulnerable to
Boko Haram recrulters. People in the north are significantly marginalized and
are not provided the same economic opportunities and benefits that the rest of
the country enjoy (Ibid). The founder and also the leader of the group,
Mohammad Yusuf argued that ―Western education or ―Boko‖ had brought nothing but poverty and suffering
to the region and was therefore, ―forbidden or Haram‖ in Islam (Reutrs, 2012).
This is the central government argument that led
Robert Gurr‘s (1970) relative deprivation these addressed in saying that:
The greater the discrepancy, however marginal between what is
sought and what seems attainable, the greater will be the chances that anger
and violence will result (Ted, 1970).
A part from Nigeria government being corrupt in the
year 1999, the police claimed down on Boko Haram members who were ignoring a
law requiring motorcyclist to wear helmets. That sparked a furious back lash.
Police stations and government offices in Borno state were burned to ground
hundreds of citizens released in prison break, innocent citizens died on bomb
explosion, public and private properties destroyed etc. as the violence spread
across northern Nigeria.
The last stroke that broke the
camel‘s back was the government and its army reacting with force, the leader of
the Boko Haram group ‗Mohammed Yusuf‖ was captured and shot dead in police
custody. Five days of fighting left more
than 800 people dead (Morgan, 2011). In other words, the group remains fiercely
antigovernment and anti-authority, and resentful of the decades of corrupt,
poor government that have improvise it home region (Ibid).
1.7 Hypotheses
For the purpose of this study, this hypotheses were formulated:
1. Poverty and unemployment seem to be
the driving force of the Boko Haram insurgence
2. Boko Haram insurgence has led to lose
of revenue and seeming disunity in Nigeria
3. Dialogue appears to be desideration
to the Boko
Haram Menace in Nigeria.
1.8 Method of Data Collection
By method of data collection, we are referring to the
various means through which appropriate information needed for this study was
sourced, for the purpose of this work. The method used in the gathering of the
data collection is mainly secondary source of data collection
This research is a topical issue, the secondary method
of sourcing was adequate, this include gathering materials or information from
text books journals, magazines, newspapers, internet material seminars, debates
and seminars publications. Etc.
1.9 Scope and Limitations of the Study
The scope of this research work is quite broad that it
encompasses the investigation ―the effect of Boko Haram insurgence on the
socio-economic development of Nigerian‖.
The limitation of this study, various factors contributed in affecting
in researchers comprehensiveness and totality in carrying out the study. Among
these factors are scarcity of relevant materials on the issue due to its
continuous evolving nature and virginity experienced its apex in the course of
the research interval.
Despite, the financial problem, hindrance and
shortcoming the research work will defiantly come to accomplished.
1.10 Definition of Terms
According to Janct (2004:107), definition of terms
used in a research is operation. Works are defined as they are used by the
researcher. This means that researcher uses certain words in the way they fit
to the study, which may be different from the ordinary dictionary meaning. For
an operational understanding of the term used within this study, the
definitions are as follows:
Boko Haram:- The term Boko Haram is a derivation
of Hausa world ―Boko‖ meaning ―Animist‖ western or otherwise non-Islamic
education‖, while Haram is a word with Arabic origin that figuratively means
―sin‖ but literally, forbidden‘. In order words, Boko Harm means
―western education is forbidden or is a sin‖ (Wkipedia, Boko Haram‖,
21/03/2013:1) Boko Haram is very controversial Nigeria militant Islamic group
that seeks for the imposition of sharia law in the entire northern states of
Nigeria. The name officially of the group is jama‘atu Alis-sunna Lidda‘awth wal
jihad‖, which in Arabic translated to people committed to the propagation of
the teaching of prophet and jihad‖ literally therefore, the group means
―Association of sunnis for the propagation of Islam and for Holy war.
Insurgence:- This is defined as a political battle
waged among a cooperative or acquiescence populace in order for a group of
outsiders to take over (or at lest undermine) the government of a nation.
Crime:- On the definition of crime, the
united Nation
Research institution. Observed that:
Crime in the sense of branch of a legal prohibition, is a
universal concepts, out what actually constitutes a crime and how seriously it
should be regarded, varies enormously from one society to another perception of
crime are not determined by any objective indictor of the degree of injury or
damage, but by culture values and power relations (UN Research institute for
social development, (1995).
In a strict legal definition, however, a crime is a violation of the
criminal law, which is subsequently followed by legal punishment (Dambazau,
2007).
Violence:- Violence is defined by the World
Health Organization (WHO) as the international use of physical force of power,
threatened or actual against oneself, another person, or against a group or
community, that either results in or has a high likelihood of resulting in
injuries, death psychological harm, mal development or deprivation. (Wikipedia,
WHO).
Sect:- Sect can be seen as a body of persons
distinguished by pecularities of faith and practice form other bodies adhering
to the same general system. Specially, the adherents collectively of a
particular creed or confession a demonation or older form of faith or believe
(Britanic world language dictionary).
Peace:- Peace is generally defined as the
absence of war, conflict, anxiety, suffering and violence and absolute peaceful
co-existence. However, peace connotes more than a mere absence of war
hostilities because an
absence of conflict is inevitable. Therefore, peace could be defined as a
political condition that ensure justice and social stability through formal or
informal institutions, practices and norms (Howard, 1987).
Security:- Security can be defined to mean ― the total sum of action and
measures, including legislative and operational procedures, adopted to ensure
peace, stability and the general wellbeing of a nation and its citizens
(Shinikaiye, 2004:2).
Terrorism:- Terrorism is perhaps the most controversial
problematic concept to define in the world today. This is made more problematic
blurred distinction between legitimate act of resistance and criminal act of
terrorism. Despite these difficulties, however, terrorism could conceptualized
as the politically motivated acts of violation perpetrated against civilian
targets with the aim of inflicting mass causalities, instilling fear and a
sense of insecurity and affecting a change in the policies and action of the
victims (Nolan, 1998).
National Security:- National security is best described
as a capacity to control those domestic and foreign conditions that the public
opinion of a given community believes necessary to enjoy its own
self-determination or autonomy, prosperity and wellbeing (Maier (2000:5). Islamic Fundamentalism:- Islamic
Fundamentalism is a term used to describe religious ideologies seen as
advocating a return to the fundamentals of Islam, the Quran and the Summah, it
is deemed problematic by those who suggest that Islamic belief requires all
Muslims to be fundamentalists (Bernard, 1993). Islamic fundamentalist oppose
the infiltration of secular and westernizing influences and seek to institute
Islamic law including in Muslim and strict code of behaviour.
Domestic Terrorism:- Domestic Terrorism is the commission of terrorist attacks in a
state by forces inside or originating from the state, as opposed to terrorist
attacks by forces external to the state. In other words, domestic terrorism is
a terrorist act practice in one‘s own country against her own people (online
dictionary).
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