BOKO HARAM AND UNCHARACTERIZED TERRORISM IN NIGERIA

By ‘Jide Adesina

The vicious circle of the heterogeneous nature of Nigeria is banquethed  by disparities in ranks and file of the socio-economies of the nation.

The making of most militias in Nigeria is a reflection of governance and maladministration  in the polity cum cabals and anti-democratic elements enjoying the largess of the system through bunkering and military godfathers  sponsored agenda.

The assumption of iniquitous , Egbesu, OPC , MEND and most radical Islamic founder mentalist Boko- Haram  has its genesis rooted in the militarized hostile minds of Nigerians and poverty .

The comparative superior position of the south/West  of  Nigeria to the northern part  was the acceptance of western  education and adjusting to the pseudo-capitalism system of the western policies, which somehow enlightened the scope of  civilization in west and makes them more advanced, developed , thoughtful and pragmatic to practical rationalization of the polity in a broad perspective of ethno-centric nature of Nigeria.

The Northern region embrace the jihadist nature of Islam and the authority of  the Emirs, a feudal authoritarian system , which first and for most preserves  the authority of the emirs and the British acquiescence in sustaining the fear that the people had for  indirect rule which today become the basis of  systemic problem confronting Nigeria.

The amalgamation of  Nigeria was a shadow of a broken states that was not in any way supposed to rise but the greed and the economic motivation of the British and selfish attitude of the elites class is now recurring the course of History…Only time will tell when the nation on the edge will submerged and fractured into various segments, It should be noted and acknowledged that the Brits did not seek to create a nation that would , in long run become the giant of Africa, to this extent, there is limit to which the British could be blamed for Nigeria woes. The blame rest with the leadership that has been unable to redirect the course of history  and elevate the economic status of the nation in the comity of states

Boko Haram, an Islamist religious sect and terrorist group, believes that Nigeria is run by non-believers, even when Nigeria had a Muslim president. The group’s goal is to establish a fully Islamic state in Nigeria, including the implementation of criminal sharia courts across the country. The sect calls itself Jama’atul Alhul Sunnah Lidda’wati wal jihad, or “people committed to the propagation of the prophet’s teachings and jihad.” The name, Boko Haram, was given to the group by residents of Maiduguri, Borno state where the group was formed. “Boko” means “fake”, but is used to signify Western education, while “Haram” means “forbidden”, so Boko Haram colloquially translates into “Western education is sin.”

Boko Haram’s origins are believed to have been influenced by the teachings of Maitatsine, Mohammed Marwa, a Muslim fundamentalist, who rejected the influence of the education system imposedd by the British when they conquered the Sokoto Caliphate in 1903. Its followers also strictly adhere to a phrase from the Koran which states, “Anyone who is not governed by what Allah has revealed is among the transgressors”. Boko Haram followers, called Yusuffiya, include hundreds of impoverished young northerners, students and professionals, many of whom are unemployed. There have also been allegations that the group is sponsored by members of Nigeria’s elite and ruling political class.

Boko Haram was created in 2002 by Mohammad Yusuf (1970-2009), a radical Islamist cleric, in Maiduguri, Borno state, in northeastern Nigeria. He set up a religious complex, called Markaz, following his expulsion from two mosques in Maiduguri by Muslim clerics for propagating his radical views. The complex included a mosque and an Islamic school. Many poor Muslim families in Nigeria, and neighbouring countries, sent their children to the school to get a proper education which the government of Nigeria has failed to provide. The centre had ulterior political goals to to create an Islamic state and impose Sharia laws, and it soon became a recruiting ground for future jihadis to fight the state.

For the first seven years of its existence, Boko Haram’s operations were relatively peaceful, and they typically only criticized northern Muslims for participating in what the group considered to be an illegitimate, non-Islamic state, but in 2009 the government began investigating reports that Boko Haram members were arming themselves, and when Boko Haram members defied a ban on riding motorcycles without helmets, this led to deadly clashes with Nigeria security forces. The incident was suppressed by the army and about 700 people are estimated to have been killed. The group’s founder, Mohammad Yusuf, was also arrested and was later killed while still in police custody. His father in-law and other sect members were also killed in circumstances which human rights groups have called extra-judicial killings. Mohammad Yusuf’s lifeless body was shown on television and the security forces declared that Boko Haram had been eradicated.

However, after Mohammad Yusuf’s death, Boko Haram carried out its first terrorist attack in Borno state in January 2010 and four people were killed. Since then, Boko Haram has increased the frequency and intensity of its attacks with increased suicide bombings and assassinations spreading from Maiduguri to Abuja.

Some experts say the group is leading an armed protest against corruption, abusive security forces, and economic disparity in northern Nigeria and feeding off tensions that have existed between the Muslim north and Christian south. But some of the group’s recent attacks, e.g. the bombing of a UN building in Abuja, seem to suggest that the group’s ambitions are broader than initially believed. There are also concerns that Boko Haram is planning to to connect with Al Qaeda senior leadership and the Nigerian government has been working with other African, U.S, European and Middle Eastern governments to collaborate in the fight against Boko Haram

Experts believe that the group’s influence will only diminish when the Nigerian government begins to reduce the poverty in the North and builds an education system supported by the locals.

To be cont’