Abstract
Abstract
ThisstudyexaminedBokoHaram insurgencyandnationalsecurity,2002-
2017.Thestudywasnecessitatedonthepremisethatterrorism has
affectedlivesallovertheworldandhasresultedinnegatingworldpeaceat
analarmingrate.Theobjectivesofthestudyweretoexaminewhetherthe
incidenceofterrorism hasimpactedonnationalsecurity;andtoascertain
theeffectsofterrorism onNigeriansforeignpolicy.Secondarydatawas
used and the Marxian politicaleconomy theory formed a basis of
theoreticalanalysis.Theexposefactoresearchdesignwasadoptedand
datawasanalyzedusingthequantitativedescriptivemethod.Thefindings
oftheresearchprovedthatnonationcanguaranteeabsolutesecuritytoits
citizenswithoutcollaborationwiththelargerinternationalcommunity;
terrorism isanactofviolenceandviolenceisacontinuationofpoliticsby
othermeans.Thestudyrecommendsacontinuouscapacitybuildingfor
intelligenceandsecurityoperativesandagencies;andtheinitiationof
counterterroristmeasurestopreventattacksfromterrorists.
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BackgroundtotheStudy
The21stcenturyhaswitnessedunforeseeneventswhichhavealtered
thecourseofhistory.Besidesthetechnologicaladvancements,thebiggest
changeundoubtedlyhasbeentheemergenceofterrorism asoneofthe
biggestglobalthreats.Terrorism hasbeeninsidiouslyaffectinglivesall
overtheworldandhasresultedinspoilingtheworldpeaceatanalarming
rate.MayitbeasuperpowerlikeUnitedStatesofAmericaoradeveloping
countrylikeIndia,terrorism continuestospreaditsrootswithnoconcrete
solution.Ithasnotonlydebilitatednationalsecuritybuthasalsoled
countriesintoasituationofanarchy.
Terrorism isamethod,whichcanbeusedbyanypersonorgroupand
foranykindofmotive.Asaform ofviolence,terrorism tellsuslittleabout
thepeoplewhoemployit,nordoesthetacticitselfexplainwhyitisbeing
used.Beforeembarkingonamoredetailedanalysisandprojectionof
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trends,itistherefore worth remembering thatlumping togetherand
prescribingstandardizedsolutionsforvastlydifferentviolentconflicts
basedmerelyontacticalsimilarity,thatis,theuseof‘terroristic’means
doesnotleadtovalidpredictions.AsBrianJenkinsputit,terrorism is
merelythe‘thincrustatopaverydeeppie’Jenkins(2005),anditcannot
thereforebeunderstoodwithoutreferencetothespecificpoliticaland
societalconditionsinwhichitoccurs.Anyattempttoderivewide-ranging
insightsaboutthecausesandpossiblesolutionsforparticularviolent
conflictsbasedsolelyontheir‘terroristic’manifestationsmustfail.
Terrorism andglobalsecurityhavebecomesignificantcontentionin
shapingforeignpolicyofnationsacrosstheglobe.Recentliteratureshave
revealedthatsuchissuesas,social,economic,politicalandtechnological
factorsthatrevolvearoundthehubofglobalsecuritymattershavebeen
seriouslyunderminedbycancerousactsofterrorism.Thisisbecause
terrorisminwhicheverform,posesanalarmingkindofviolenceandthreat
inthecontemporaryworld,whichconstitutesgreathindrancetofreeflow
relationshipthatexistamongstnations.InNigeriaforinstance,thecause
ofterrorism rangesfrom religiousextremism,perceivedoppressionand
nationalistseparatistorethnicconsiderationsthatnodoubthavegreatly
impactedontheNigerianforeignpolicy.
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Apartfrom the challenges ofpoverty,sectarian,economic and
politicalcrises,andNigerDeltaMilitancy,Nigeriaiscurrentlyfacinga
deeperandprofoundchallengeofterrorism,especiallyintheNorth-Eastern
regionofthecountry.Inthepasttwoyears,wehavewitnessedthe
vulnerabilityoftheNigerianstatetoterror,criminalityandinstability.The
listofthesedishearteningphenomenaincludesbutisnotlimitedtothe
bombing ofseveralChurches,Mosques,PoliceStations,Schoolsand
PrisonsinBauchi,Bornu,YobeandAdamawastates.Otherpartsofthe
countrywerenotspared,asthesect-bombingactivitieswerewitnessedin
theFederalcapitalterritory,Abuja,Plateau,KadunaandKanostates.The
bombing ofthe United Nationsoffice in Abuja isperhapswhatthe
insurgentsusedtogainglobalrecognition;astheyarenowlistedamongst
terroristorganizationsbytheUnitedStatesanditsallies,(formoredetails
seeTheEconomist,September3,2011).
Availablestatisticsonthenumberofdeathsandpropertylostto
BokoHaram insurgencybetween2002and2013tosaytheleastishighly
controversial.AccordingtotheEconomist,September3,2011over10,000
people(includingwomenandchildren)havebeenkilledandpropertyworth
over100milliondollarshavebeendestroyedduringtheperiodunder
discussion(culledfrom interview ofvictimsofBokoHaram attacksin
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Abuja,NorthCentral,NorthEastandNorthWestregionsofthecountry).
However,officialreportsputthedeathtollat8,000plusandproperty
destroyedat40milliondollars(culledfrom theinterview ofgovernment
officialsinAbuja,Yobe,Kaduna,PlateauandAdamawastates).
Government’sresponsetotheviciousattacksofBokoHaram has
beenadiversemixofhopeandtrepidation.Hopeliesinthefactthata
stateofemergencyhasbeendeclaredin(AdamawaState,BornoStateand
YobeStates)inhabitedbytheinsurgentgroup.Apartfrom thateachtime
thePoliceandothersecurityorganizationsresponsibleforinternalsecurity
seem tobeoverwhelmedbytheinsurgents,thearmyisusuallybroughtin
to force them to retreat.Trepidation arises from the abilityofthe
insurgentstoregroupandstrikeevenwiththeimposedstateofemergency.
Thecountry’svulnerabilitytoincessantattacksfrom armedinsurgents
posesagreatsecuritychallenge.AccordingtotheMinisterofinformation,
LabaranMaku,thecountryspends27%ofitsbudgetoninternalsecurity
alone.Theseareresourcesthatcouldhavebeenusedtorehabilitatethe
country’sdeplorableinfrastructure(Reviewof2013byChannelsTelevision).
FollowingthedeclarationofstateofemergencyinAdamawa,Borno
andYobestates,governmenttroopshavelaunchedsustainedoffensive
againsttheinsurgentgroup,butthishasnotyieldedthedesiredresults.
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Mostrecently,theAirforcebaseandArmypostinMaiduguriwereattacked
byBokoHaraminsurgents.Accordingtoanofficialreport,“twohelicopters
andthreeout-ofserviceplanesweredestroyed”.“Twomilitarypersonnel
wereinjuredand24militantskilled”.However,witnessesaccountculled
from socialmediaclaimedthatover100persons,includingcivilianswere
killed.
Inresponsetotheattack,theGovernmentimposeda24-hourcurfewin
thetownofYobestates.Thattheinsurgentgroupisabletolaunchattacks
onmilitaryinstallationsandotherpublicinstitutionsevenwhenthestateof
emergencyisstillinplace,raisesquestionsabouttheeffectivenessofthe
government’scounter-offensivepolicy.Thisiswhathasinstigatedthis
investigation.Itisinthelightoftheabove,thatthisstudyattemptsto
investigateterrorism anditsimpactonthe21stcenturyacasestudyof
BokoHaraminsurgencyinNigeria.
1.2StatementofProblem
Terrorism,arguably,isthebiggestthreattoglobalpeaceandstability
in the contemporarytimes.Since the dawn ofthis millennium,the
incidenceoftheterrorism hasbeenonasteadyriseworldwide.Hitherto,
terrorism wasmoreorlessanationalorregionalaffair.Ithasbeen
observedthatpartofthedifficultyinconstructingauniversallyaccepted
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definitionofterrorism isaconsequenceoftheexistenceoforganizations
andleadersthatwereformallybrandedasterroristbuteventuallyevolved
into acceptableleadersofgovernments.Thisisthecasewithsome
liberationmovementsthatfoughtcolonialism orisstillfightingoppressive
regimeswithintheirowncountriesasalastresort.Anexampleofthisis
JomoKenyatta’sMauMauandNelsonMandela’sAfricaNationalCongress.
Interestingly,Mandela(Africa’sForemostNationalistLeader)wroteinhis
autobiographythat“50yearsofnon-violencebroughthispeoplenothing,
butmorerepressivelegislationandfewerrights”Mandela(1994).
The United States DepartmentofDefense defined terrorism as the
calculated useofunlawfulviolenceorthreatofunlawfulviolenceto
inculcatefearintendedtocoerceortointimidateeithercitizens,societies,
oreventhegovernmentinthepursuitofgoalsthataregenerallypolitical,
religiousorideological.
Bethatasitmay,whatwediscoveredfrom theabovedefinitionand
interpretationofterrorism arethreekeyelementsthatappearinmost
definitions.Theyare(1)aviolencemeans,(2)aimedattriggeringpolitical
change,(3)byaffectingalargeraudiencethanitsimmediatetarget.
Internationalterrorism,whichisterrorism thattranscendsnational
borders,isthereforebothanactionandreactiontorepression,desperation
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and hopelesssituations.Theactionsand reactionstakeon political,
economic,social,ideological,psychological,emotionalandreligiousfervor
(Mukwaya2004).Terrorism isthereforeapolitically,economicallyand
religiously motivated violence directed againstnon-combatants and
designedtoinstillfearinatargetaudience.Itisanactthatinfluencesan
audiencebeyondtheimmediatevictim.Terrorism aswepreviouslysaidis
notanew phenomenon;itisdeeplyembeddedinhistory.Apeepinto
historyrecordsthat,terrorism hasbeenoneofthestarkestexpressionsof
rejectionofauthority.Terrorism eatsawaythesocio-politicalfabricof
manystates,underminesdemocracy,providesarationalforagovernment
todelaydemocraticreformsandcanincreasetensionamongstates.The
resultisoftenimpressionthattheworldisinastateofchaos,and
internationalorderandauthorityarecollapsing(Viotti&Kauppi,2009).
Terrorism hasbeenanoldscourgetohumankindfrom timepast,
andforthepastthreedecades,terroristactivitiesintheworldhave
increasedtoanalarmingrate.Forinstance,sincethe1970s,international
terrorism sponsoredbystatesandnon-stateactors,hasevolvedintoan
insidioustrendthatoftenhurtcivilianpopulations.Oftenusedbythe
relativelypowerless againstthe powerful,terrorists operate basically
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throughsurprise(Mingst,1999).
From thebombingoftheembassiesoftheUnitedStatesofAmerica
inKenyaandTanzaniain1988,totheSeptember11,2001worldtrade
centrebombingsinNewYork,theMumbaiattacksinIndia,thekillingofthe
AmericanAmbassadorinLibyaandtheBokoHaram attacksinNigeria,the
storyremainsthesame.Terroristattackshavecontinuedtocauselossof
livesandproperty.AccordingtoKegley(2007),terrorismposesanalarming
kindofcontemporaryviolence.
Therearedifferentmechanismsandglobalpoliciescurrentlyinuse
forfighting terrorism.These ranges from peacefuland diplomatic
negotiations,makingsecretconcessions,pacification,theuseofeconomic
sanctionsanduseofmilitaryforceinsomecases.Asaresultofthe
growing sophistication of terrorist networks and the havoc such
clandestinegroupsposetosociety,theuseofmilitaryforceisbecominga
preferredalternativeapproachinthestruggleagainstterrorism.Thisof
coursehascontinuedtoelicitresponsesandcriticismsfrom policyand
legalanalysts.Mostofsuchcriticismsmakereferencetotheprosecution
ofwhatiscurrentlytermedasthe“waronterror”asexemplifiedinIraqand
Afghanistan.TheinvasionofIraq,whichledtothedeathofPresident
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Saddam Hussein,andthefightagainsttheTalibaninAfghanistanhaveled
tothedeathofmanycombatantsandinnocentcivilians,coupledwiththe
destructionofpropertiesworthbillionsofdollars.
Whereinformationgapexistsorispoorlyhandled,liketheIraq’s
chemicalweapons detection blunder,militaryoperation maylead to
collateraldamagesthatcouldimpingeoninternationallaw.Justfewyears
ago,terrorism seemedtoberestrictedtoafewisolatedplaces,suchas
NorthernIreland,theBasqueCountryinNorthernSpain,andsomeareasof
theMiddleEast.Now -especiallysinceSeptember11,2001,withthe
destructionoftheTwinTowersinNew York-worldwidephenomenon
(June,2006:4).