Boko Haram Terrorist Activities: How to Counter It - Case Study Example

Terrorism is a violent criminal trend that has rocked the cotemporary society. It is not only a problem of the developed s like U.S.A. and Israel but also of the developing countries like Somalia and Nigeria. The height of terrorism was the September 11, 2001, bombings at Pentagon and World Trade Centre in America where many were killed and others seriously injured (Cultural Dictionary 2005).There are various terrorist groups all over the globe, in Nigeria a terrorist group, Boko Haram, is causing a great deal of havoc to the citizens and the government. They are using violence and intimidation in a bid to overthrow the Nigerian government and to replace it with an Islamic one. Boko Haram believes that western education is a sacrilege and is highly prohibited. It has had numerous social, economic and political consequences in the country and should be speedily curbed. Boko Haram Terrorist Activities; How to counter it The term terrorism is not news to our ears since it has dominated various media outlets. Terrorism has had devastating effects on the political, social and economic development in various societies. The contemporary society is full of mushrooming terrorist groups like Al-Qaida, Taliban, Al-Shabaab, Hezbollah and Boko Haram among others. What is terrorism? The word terrorism, originates from the word terror. According to Hornby (2000), terror is defined as a feeling of extreme fear. “Terrorism is the use of violence and threats to intimidate or coerce especially for political purposes” (Dictionary.com 2012). Terrorists often stage sudden attacks on the unsuspecting civilians to push their agenda. Terrorism is an activity that has been condemned by most governments of the world; the United States taking the centre stage. Having explicated terrorism in general, we can now narrow down to a particular terrorist group, Boko Haram, in Nigeria. The paper will explore current terrorist activities in Nigeria by this group. It is in order to understand the term, Boko Haram. According to Domingo (2012), it is a terrorist group that was founded by one Mohammed Yusuf between 2001 and 2002. Northern Nigeria is predominantly occupied by the Kanuri ethnic group, and it is the stronghold of Boko Haram. Terrorist assemblages are often formed and propagated by the drive of revenge, believing that they have suffered historical injustices, which may be religious, political, social and economic in nature. Terrorist groupings do not believe in dialogue and have resorted to barbaric violent ways of handling concerns. They believe that the government is doing very little to respond to their demands and as such, they are fighting to form their own government. In Hausa, which is one of the major indigenous languages of Nigeria, the term, Boko Haram, can be translated to mean, “Western education is sacrilege or sin” (Domingo 2012). The main aim of this terrorist group is to topple the current government that they refer to as secular, and to replace it with a spiritual one that is an Islamic state where ‘sheria’ laws are strictly adhered to (Domingo 2012). This group that is vehemently fighting to overthrow the Nigerian government, and establish an Islamic state is believed to be influenced by a phrase in the Koran that says, “Anyone who is not governed by what Allah has revealed is among the transgressors” (Cothia 2012). The group believes that Nigeria is being ruled by unbelievers since according to them; anything related to Western culture is against their religious values and should therefore be prohibited. They forbid Muslims from attending any social or political activities that are associated to the west since they are ‘unholy’. Boko Haram is fighting a religious war in Nigeria and their counterparts, the Christians, who are purportedly following ‘unholy’ western culture, are the victims. Is it all about the introduction of ‘sheria’ system of governance, or there is more than the religious dimension of the conflict? The fact that Boko Haram, translated in English mean western education is a sacrilege, unveils a lot about the sect. The term sacrilege is widely used in the religious spheres and refers to, treating something holy without the due respect that it deserves. This means that Boko Haram is fighting a religious war to safeguard what they consider holy. It is clear from the name that what is causing the sacrilege is the western education and ideologies. Boko Haram is a thinly veiled sect that is fighting Western ideologies; they believe that these ideologies like education and systems of governance in Nigeria has widely borrowed from the west and amounts to total contempt of their religious values. It is safe to argue that Boko Haram is fighting ideological war. Many conflicts often erupt due to scramble for resources. Oil is one of the most precious resources in the world. Lucky for Nigeria she is well endowed with oil resource. Such a precious resource if not properly managed can lead to very deadly conflicts. Is Boko Haram fighting to control the oil resource or the war is all about fighting the western ideologies and culture in Nigeria? According to Adebowale (2012), the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Sasuni Limido, admits that there have been economic historical grievances, which have led to the marginalization of Northern Nigeria. The oil wealth has not been, over the years, shared equitably with them, and so they are highly impoverished. Statistics indicate that between, 1999 and 2008, oil producing state, in the Southern Nigeria, known as Rivers received N1,053 billion while their counterparts Yobe and Borno in the North received only N175 and N213 billion respectively (Adebowale 2012). This is an extremely broad discrepancy on revenue allocation that has impoverished the North-Eastern states of Nigeria. The long term marginalization, led to the formation of Boko Haram, a rebellious group, fighting to liberate the people of North East Nigeria by overthrowing the current government, and establishing an Islamic government. This ultimately is aimed at controlling the precious oil resource and the revenue from the same. After discussing the possible causes and the exacerbating factors to this terrorist movement, let us now discuss the effects of the group’s operations in Nigeria. Just like other terrorist groups, Boko Haram has caused severe damage to the economic, social and political progression of Nigeria. The group has threatened to weaken international associations between Nigeria and other countries. Their operations are known world over since the world has become a global village. One of the events that made it conspicuous in the world, is the 2011 bombing of the United Nations headquarters in Abuja (Abidde 2012).This action is very detrimental to the international relations of the country, since it hinders international operations in the country on insecurity grounds. Nigeria does not exist in a vacuum, but with other countries which she depends on for support. This incident is so serious and undermines the operations of United Nations in the country and may cost the country and African continent dearly. Another effect of Boko Haram is making the security forces appear inept or incompetent (Abidde 2012). The numerous attacks and assaults that its members have accomplished in the country expose the police as weak, and not able to contain the group. Subsequently, this leads to the formation a negative against the police and other security forces that they are unable to provide adequate security to the citizens of Nigeria. Whether the police are weak or not, the damage has been done since a negative perception has been formed. This may make some citizens to surrender to the group in order to ensure that their safety. If you cannot beat them join them. This saying is practical in such a scenario, since after the citizens have lost faith in the police for their protection, they might resolve to obey this militant group due to fear for their lives. When this happens their number grows, and their networks are expanded. The operations of Boko Haram may also demoralize the legitimate security providers in Nigeria (Abidde 2012). This is because; they may wonder whether their superiors are doing enough to curb this serious menace. When members of Nigerian security force begin to doubt, suspicion and lack of unity may crop up, and this may in turn shatter the unity in the security agencies. The disunity and demoralization may weaken the security system in Nigeria giving Boko Haram an opportunity to attack the innocent citizens of the country. One of the main functions of a government is protecting its people. If it fails to protect the people, they may loose confidence in it, and the leader may be viewed as incompetent and this may cause disregard to the presidency .The operations of the group have caused a prolonged lack of peace and stability and if this persists, the status of the presidency may deteriorate, and in the long run, military forces may take over leadership of the country. More often than not, a military state suffers from dictatorship and political tyranny, and this is not a desired scenario to the public, and even some security personnel who are coerced to doing dreadful activities to sustain dictatorial power. It will be ridiculous to discuss the repercussions of Boko Haram without examining its economic dimensions. Boko Haram insurgency has caused serious economic problems both in Nigeria and in the neighboring countries. The conflict has also led to the killing of many civilians and security personnel in Nigeria. Further, it has led to mass destruction of property and infrastructure, and all these are very injurious to the economy of Nigeria. Their targets include: cars, police stations, banks, churches, and schools among others (Portaltoafrica.com 2012). This dangerous group majorly carries out their attacks using bombs and other explosives together with various firearms. According to Madu (2012), the government of Nigeria has taken cognizance that the activities of Boko Haram are dangerous to Nigerian Economy and that of the neighboring countries. The prevailing conflict has caused severe insecurity, and economic activities in Nigeria have deteriorated. Further, it is known that one of the major impetuses to foreign and local investments is peace and stability, which has been eroded by the activities of Boko Haram, hence retrogressive economic growth in the country. Having examined some of the consequences of the activities of Boko Haram in Nigeria, it is clear that they are life threatening through insecurity, detrimental to international relations, and the economy of Nigeria and other countries of the world. Owing to these devastating effects, it must be dealt with speedily, efficiently and effectively. One of the ways of countering Boko Haram is through engaging massive intelligence operations. According to Madu (2012), the issue of terrorism is about intelligence since the force being fought is not a standing army. Intelligence operations should be intensified to ensure that the country unveils the operations, plans and intentions, management, and the supporters of this deadly group. Governor Abulaziz Yari of Zamfara state concurs with the fact that intelligence operations are vital in curbing the problem, and recommends that all security personnel should be trained on intelligence gathering and implementation to deal with the current security crisis (Okunbor 2012). Having unmasked the vital information, it is easier to handle the group since the government will fully understand them and hit on their weak points. It is encouraging to note that Madu (2012) observes that the Federal government of Nigeria has invested heavily on intelligence services to curb the operations of Boko Haram. This is a positive move that should be embraced, developed and sustained to ensure the much required peace and stability returns to the oil rich economy-Nigeria. Boko Haram just as other terrorist movements in the world must be getting support form within and without Nigeria. Gubser (2012) indicates that the group has connections with Al Qaida, and as such requires international attention. The fact that some of the support is from without Nigeria makes Boko Haram insurgency a global crisis. Terrorism is a global problem and Boko Haram should be countered through international interventions. Countries all over the world, particularly, the so called developed countries, have been offering, technological, military and economic support to the Nigeria geared towards annihilating this dangerous sect. Notably, the United States of America has been on the fore front in offering a helping hand to Nigeria to deal with this menace. According to Portaltoafrica.com (2012), America, has been training and equipping Nigerian soldiers to fight the insurgent Islamic group that has no regard to the value of life. In addition, the international community has established Trans-Sahara Counter Terrorism to deal with Boko Haram and other terrorist groups that maybe operating or desires to operate in the region (Gubser 2012). Initiating international cooperation, in handling Boko Haram will go a long way in ensuring that this group is rooted out of Nigeria. The Nigerian authorities should therefore foster more collaborative approaches to deal with the prevailing conflict. Terrorist groups always fight; in retaliation with claims that their rights have been violated. They believe that the wrongs allegedly committed against them can only be solved through violence and intimidation. Boko Haram believes that their religious rights have been infringed by the western way of life. The name Boko Haram, translated to English means, western education is sin, and therefore, western culture is prohibited by the grouping. This strongly indicates that the fighting of the group is religious; hence the option of religious solution to the problem cannot be neglected. Nigerian authorities should engage sober Islamic and Christian religious leaders to help curb the problem. Religious leaders are in a better position to foster peaceful coexistence between the Christians and the Muslims in Nigeria. This can be done through collaboration between Christian and Muslim religious leaders with a core objective of ensuring that the operations of the sect do not deteriorate to a religious war between Muslims and Christians. Boko Haram claims that they have been, for a long time, victims of historical injustices. Adebowale (2012) observes that there has been a prolonged inequitable distribution of resources with the between the Southern and the Northern Nigerian states; with the North being the victims. This injustice is one of the reasons that prompted the formation of Boko Haram to fight for the people of North East Nigeria with a long term plan of toppling the Nigerian government and to impose ‘sheria’ laws. According to the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, there is a stark economic imbalance between the North-Eastern states and the oil rich Southern states (Adebowale 2012). To deal with this problem from the roots, it is imperative that the historical economic injustices are dealt with professionally. If you just kill its members to annihilate the sect, the problem shall not have been solved since its root causes will still be existing, and my lead to the sprouting of other terrorist groupings in future. The government of Nigeria should therefore employ the services of competent individuals to analyze and understand the historical injustices, and respond to them in a consultative manner, giving dialogue a chance. Consultative approach enables all the stakeholders of the conflict to feel part of the solution and this eliminates sabotage and ensures that the peace process prevails. The government should also use military interventions to curb the menace. Boko Haram is a very violent group that has mounted impudent deadly strikes against the government, its affiliates and civilians. The attacks have caused numerous deaths and calls for speedy military actions to avert continual harm. The military action should be carried out in a collaborative and consultative manner; with all the security organs coming together to fight a common enemy, Boko Haram. According to Madu (2012), the Nigerian army, the air force, the navy and the police are working together to defeat this extremist organization. Their main aims being to raid, kill, confuse and disarm the group in a strong desire to restore peace and stability in Nigeria. During military operations, conditional and tactful military amnesty should not be overlooked, as this can also be a vital tool in countering the insurgents. Terrorism is a condemned practice all over the world. It employs violent and intimidating actions to push for their barbaric agenda. Boko Haram, one of the terrorist groups of the world based in Northern Nigeria has caused a lot of Havoc in Africa’s most populous state. The term Boko Haram, loosely translated to English means that, the western education is sacrilege and therefore it is forbidden. The members want to establish an Islamic state that is devoid of western culture. In fighting for their interests, they have caused tremendous loss of lives and damage to the political, social and economic status of Nigeria. Their operations are also threatening international relations between Nigeria and the rest of the world. It is a very serious issue and should be speedily and efficiently tackled by the Nigerian authorities and other like minded authorities through: military interventions, international cooperation, intelligence gathering, and addressing religious and economic injustices through meaningful dialogue. References Abidde Sabella. (2012). The Impact of Boko Haram In Nigeria. Punchng.com. Retrieved From http://www.punchng.com/viewpoint/the-impact-of-boko-haram-on-nigeria/ Adebowale Yemi. (2012). Sanusi Links Boko Haram to Derivation. Retrieved From http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/sanusi-links-boko-haram-to-derivation/108039/. Cothia Farouk. (2012). Who are Nigeria’s Boko Haram Islamists. Retrieved From http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-13809501. Cultural Dictionary. (2005). September 11, Attacks Definition. U.S.A.: Houghton Mifflin Company. Dictionary.com. (2012). Terrorism. Retrieved From http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/terrorism Domingo. (2012). What is Boko Haram. BBC News. Retrieved From http://www.bbcnews.me/2012/01/what-is-boko-haram.html Gubser Michael. (2012). Seeking allies to counter Boko Haram. Gulf news.com. Retrieved From http://gulfnews.com/opinions/columnists/seeking-allies-to-counter-boko-haram-1.1005428 Hornby, A.S. (2000). Oxford Advanced Learners’ Dictionary of Current English. New York: Oxford University Press. Madu Onuorah. (2012). Government Lists Boko Haram’s Harm to economy, defense chiefs meet. Nigerianbest forum.com. Retrieved From http://www.nigerianbestforum.com/generaltopics/?p=116773. Okunbor Kelvin. (2012). How to curb Boko Haram, by Zamfara governor. Thenationonlineng.net. Retrieved From http://www.thenationonlineng.net/2011/index.php/news-update/34747-how-to-curb-boko-haram-by-zamfara-governor.html. Portaltoafrica.com. (2012). Boko Haram - US Trains Nigerian Soldiers on Counter Terrorism. Retrieved From http://portaltoafrica.com/news/africa/general/boko-haram-us-trains-nigerian-soldiers-on-counter-terrorism/ Read More