CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
Nigeria as a country is under a severe internal political, socio-economic and security threat. On a more general level, the threat has political, social, economic 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 billions 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 emanating 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 Nigerian state, which has threatened its national security and socio-economic activities. This has posed a great challenge 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 citizen, improve the welfare and eliminate corruption‖ (Damba-zau 2007:51)
Boko Haram activities, has destabilized socio-economic 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 in Maiduguri, which is the capital of Borno State. This situation has made it impossible for the citizens in that part ―Northern 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 14 strongly resisting the posting of their children as coopers 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 Nigerians mostly on the part of political and socio-economic activities of the country.
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 15 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 16 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 political and socio-economic implication on Nigerians development
3. Is dialogue a solution to the Boko Haram menace in Nigeria.
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 political and socio-economic implication on Nigeria Development.
3. Is dialogue a solution to the Boko Haram menace in Nigeria?
1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY:
The broad objective of the study is to examine the activities of the Boko Haram and its political and 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 political socio-economic implication of Boko Haram insurgence on the nation. (Nigeria)
3. To determine if dialogue is a solution to the Boko Haram menace in Nigeria.
1.4 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 respects no boundaries or borders. Nigeria is not free from these 26 threat, emanating from Boko Haram activities. Therefore, the debating question 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 terrorist 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 27 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.
1.5 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 drawn from frustration-aggression 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, scholar’s points to the 29 difference between what people feel they want or deserve to what they actually get 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). 30 As described by John Dollard, that most common explanation for violence behavior 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 is 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 recruiters. 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 31 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 anti-government and anti-authority, and resentful of the decades of corrupt, poor government that have improvise it home region (Ibid).
1.6 HYPOTHESES
For the purpose of this study, these hypotheses were formulated:
1.The Boko Haram Insurgence had a significant effect on the political and socio economic development of Nigeria.
2.The Boko Haram insurgence has not had a significant effect on the political and socio economic development of Nigeria.
3. Dialogue appears to be the solution to the Boko Haram Menace in Nigeria.
1.7 METHOD OF DATA COLLECTION
By method of data collection, we are referring to the various means through which appropriate information needed for this study were 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 materials, seminars, debates and seminar publications. etc.
1.8 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 political and socio-economic development of Nigerian from 2009 to 2020.
The limitation of this study, various factors contributed in affecting in researcher’s 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 definitely come to be accomplished.
1.9 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 35 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 a 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 36 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 least 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 concept, 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 indicator 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 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 to 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 well-being 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 have 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 well-being (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 opposes the infiltration of secular and westernizing influences and seek to institute Islamic law including in Muslim and strict code of behavior.
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 terrorisms are a terrorist act practiced in one’s own country against her own people (online dictionary).
TABLE OF CONTENT
PAGE
TITLE PAGE
APPROVAL PAGE
DEDICATION
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
ABSTRACT
RESUME
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE: GENERAL INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
1.2 Statement of the Problem
1.3 Objective of the Study
1.4 Significance of the Study
1.5 Theoretical Framework
1.6 Hypotheses
1.7 Methods of Data collection and Analysis
1.8 Scope and Limitations of the Study
1.9 Definitions of Terms
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Definitions and Meaning of Insurgence/Terrorism
2.2 Historical Background of Insurgence/Terrorism
2.3 Reasons for the Boko Haram Insurgence
2.4 The Historical Analysis of the Boko Haram Insurgence
in Nigeria
2.5 Historical Sketch of Boko Haram
2.6 Boko Haram Ideology
2.7 The Activities and Attacks of Boko Haram Insurgence
in Nigeria from 2009 to 2020
2.8 The Drive Poverty
2.9 The Drive of Unemployment
CHAPTER THREE: IMPLICATION OF THE BOKO HARAM
INSURGENCY
3.1 The Implication on Economic Development
3.2 The Implication on National Integration
3.3 The Implication on Nigeria Foreign Relation
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