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Boko Haram: understanding the context

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  • Wisdom Oghosa Iyekekpolo

Abstract

Boko Haram insurgency has caused the death and displacement of thousands of Nigerians. Its means of terror has evolved from the use of crude weapons to bombs, kidnappings and the use of children as suicide bombers. Its reach has expanded beyond Nigeria into neighbouring West African countries and it has pledged allegiance to Al-Qaida and Islamic State. To address this security concern, its cause should first be ascertained. This paper argues that to do this, Boko Haram should be located in northern Nigerian historical context/environment. This paper reviews economic greed and grievance, extreme religious ideology and political opportunity in historic insurgencies in northern Nigeria. It finds that while the interplay of different factors shaped these insurgencies; it was political opportunity that ignited their onsets. Finally, the article submits that as long as these factors remain the same, military quelling of Boko Haram will not prevent a re-emergence of its likes.

Suggested Citation

  • Wisdom Oghosa Iyekekpolo, 2016. "Boko Haram: understanding the context," Third World Quarterly, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 37(12), pages 2211-2228, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:ctwqxx:v:37:y:2016:i:12:p:2211-2228
    DOI: 10.1080/01436597.2016.1177453
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    Cited by:

    1. Odozi, John Chiwuzulum & Oyelere, Ruth Uwaifo, 2019. "Conflict Exposure and Economic Welfare in Nigeria," GLO Discussion Paper Series 334, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    2. Gian Maria Campedelli & Mihovil Bartulovic & Kathleen M. Carley, 2019. "Pairwise similarity of jihadist groups in target and weapon transitions," Journal of Computational Social Science, Springer, vol. 2(2), pages 245-270, July.
    3. George AGWU, 2020. "The Boko Haram conflict and food insecurity: does resilience capacity matter?," Working Papers 2019-2020_4, CATT - UPPA - Université de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour, revised Jul 2020.
    4. Uduak Akpan & Salisu Isihak, 2020. "The Geography of Poverty in Nigeria," Working Papers 20/035, European Xtramile Centre of African Studies (EXCAS).
    5. George Abuchi Agwu, 2020. "The Boko Haram conflict and food insecurity: Does resilience capacity matter?," Working Papers hal-02902311, HAL.
    6. Chiwuzulum Odozi, John & Uwaifo Oyelere, Ruth, 2019. "Violent Conflict Exposure in Nigeria and Economic Welfare," IZA Discussion Papers 12570, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).

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