Boko Haram: A Growing Threat To Nigerian Stability

On May 14th, 2013, President Goodluck Jonathan of Nigeria declared a state of emergency in thecountry's northeastern states of Yobe, Borno, and Adamwa.Explaining his decision in a televised speech, Jonathan said that the level of violence in the country's north was resulting in "fear among our citizens and a near breakdown of law and order in parts of the country."He continued, stating, 'What we are facing is not just militancy or criminality, but a rebellion and insurgency by terrorist groups, which pose a very serious threat to national unity and territorial integrity.' The threat, referenced by Jonathan throughout his speech, is that of Boko Haram, which just weeks before had brazenly raided the town of Bama (located in Borno state), killing 55 and freeing over a 100 inmates from the local prison.

Boko Haram, which roughly translates as 'Western education is forbidden' in the local Hausa language, is a militant Islamist organization based in northern Nigeria. It should be noted that while the group is commonly referred to as Boko Haram, by both civilian and government officials, it is actually named Jama'atuAhlisSunnaLidda'awatiwal-Jihad, meaning "People Committed to the Propagation of the Prophet's Teachings and Jihad" in Arabic.Founded in 2002 by Mohammed Yusuf, areligious leader known for his fiery rhetoric, Boko Haram quickly established itself in the capital city of Bornostate, Maiduguri. Here, Yusuf helped construct a religious complex (comprisingof a mosque and a school), which served as a center for recruitment and as the organization's headquarters. In a rather short period of time, Boko Haram had garnered a sizeable number of followers who sympathized with the group's criticism of the governmentand calls for strict religious observance, including the implementation of Sharia law. Yusuf went so far as to condemn any northern Muslims for their participation in a state he viewed as corrupt, illegitimate, and un-Islamic. During this time, Boko Haram would also establish a number of training camps, mirroring those of the Afghan Taliban (a group Yusuf is said to have drawn inspiration from), in the arid hinterlands near the border with Niger.

In July 2009, Boko Haram began its war against the Nigerian state, attacking a number of police stations and government buildings.These actions were not random, but rather, came about after a dispute between members of Boko Haram and police at a road checkpoint turned violent.State security forces responded strongly and soon much of northeastern Nigeria was embroiled in conflict. On July 28th, Nigerian forces entered Maiduguri and after fierce fighting stormed the group's headquarters, capturing Yusuf in the process. Reports conflict over exactly what transpirednext; Nigerian forces claim that, while in custody, Yusuf attempted to escape and was killed in the process. Others, including a number of human rights organizations, state that it is more likely that the military engaged in extra-judicial killings of Yusuf and other members of Boko Haram.Either way, the violence and ensuing crackdown left more than 800 people dead and thousands more displaced.

Nevertheless, Mohammad Yusuf's death was generally seen as a significant achievement. Observers both within Nigeria and from the wider international community believed Boko Haram, with its leader (and hundreds of its supporters) dead, would likely splinter into smaller groups and, in time, cease to be a substantial threat. This conclusion seemedto be confirmed over the following monthswith little, if any, significant activity emerging from Boko Haram's various cells. However, in early July 2010, Yusuf's former deputy AbubakarShekau, a man many had believed to be dead, appeared in a video and claimed leadership of Boko Haram.

Under Shekau, the degree of sophistication and strategy used by Boko Haram has undergone a significant transformation; coordinated attacks, IEDs, and car-bombings have increasingly become commonplace. Furthermore, Boko Haram is actively seeking to exploit ethno-religious tensions throughout Nigeria, targeting Christians and other minority groups in the country's north. In December 2010, members of Boko Haram detonated a series of bombs in the central Nigerian city of Jos, killing 80 people.Similarly devastating were the2011 Christmas Day bombings, in which coordinated attacks targeting churches throughout the country took the lives of at least 40 people.These attacks have, in turn, intensified the animosity between Christians and Muslims, resulting in reprisal attacks. In Kaduna state, for instance, riots following the bombing of dozens of local churches in 2012resulted in the deaths of at least 20 people. More recently, Muslim protestors attacked a Christian funeral procession in Taraba state, killing 39 and injuring an additional 30.

Initially considered as little more than a regional threat, Boko Haram has, in recent years, greatly expanded the scope of targets it is willing to engage. This was clearly demonstrated in August 2011, when a suicide bomber detonated a car laden with explosives at the United Nations headquarters in the Nigerian capital, Abuja. The explosion resulted in the partial collapse of the buildings lower level, killing 23 and injuring 116. Besides showcasing Boko Haram's growing capabilities to commit acts of terror, the attack led many to speculate that Boko Haram is forging operational links with other terrorist organizations such as al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and Somalia's al-Shabaab.

Lately schools have become targets for Boko Haram with an attack on a secondary school earlier this year resulting in the deaths of at least 42 students. According to witnesses, gunmen entered the school firing at students and setting the building ablaze with explosive devices.Shortly afterwards, Shekau appeared in a video denying Boko Haram's involvement in the attack; however, he made clear his support for the attack, stating, 'We fully support the attack on this Western education school.'He continued, saying, 'School teachers who are teaching Western education? We will kill them! We will kill them!' In response, the governor of Yobe state, in which the attack occurred, ordered that all secondary schools be closed until the start of a new academic session in September.

Nigeria is Africa's most populous country and a major oil-exporter in the region with a population of over 160 million. The insurgency by Boko Haram has claimed the lives of an estimated 2,000 to 3,000 people since 2009. As such, the threat posed by Boko Haram is a serious one; especially when one takes account of the instability in neighboring countries, most notably Mali. The targeting of Christians and other minority groups by Boko Haram also carries with it the possibility of greater sectarian conflict throughout the whole of Nigeria.

To its credit, the Nigerian government has not balked at the task that it is now facing. President Jonathan's decision to declare a state of emergency in Yobe, Borno, and Adamwa states has restricted Boko Haram's ability to launch attacks in the region. The accompanying influx of troops and military counter-offensive, following this declaration, has further reduced the terrorist organization's capabilities, forcing many of its members into the remote regions near Nigeria's border with Niger, Chad, and Cameroon.However, this may still not be enough. The difficult desert-like conditions of Nigeria's porous northern border present numerous challenges to security forces. Cooperation with neighboring governments will likely be key in addressing this issue. Additionally, chronic factors affecting northern Nigeria such as poverty, lack of infrastructure,unemployment, distrust of the central government, and instability have yet to be addressed. Likely an all of the above strategy will be needed to effectively combat Boko Haram and weaken its influence in Nigeria.

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