ABSTRACT
The upsurge of violent attacks on persons and property in the
recent years by Boko Haram insurgent has made Nigeria the third most affected
terrorist country, and first among African countries in the top 10, and next to
Iraq and Afghanistan in the world. Although, Boko Haram emerge in the
mid-1990s, very little national and international attention was paid to it
until July, 2009 when it provoked short-lived anti-government uprising in five
states in Northern Nigeria. Boko Haram emerged as part of the global Islamist
extremist fundamentalist movement, the wave of which is blowing across the
Islamic world. The movement was determined to fight against western
civilization, imperialism and exploitation and its terror war is principally
aimed to create an Islamic state and to establish a society based on Sharia law
in Nigeria. The Boko Haram insurgency created serious problem of security,
peace and development for Nigeria which required scholarly investigation.
Consequently, the research problem is to unraveled the causes and implications
of Boko Haram Islamic terrorism in Nigeria, especially in the Northeast and its
implications for peace, security and development. The scope of the research is
the entire country but however limited to Boko Haram phenomenon in the
Northeast. The objectives of the research focused principally on the causes and
implications of Boko Haram terrorist activities on peace, security and
development for Nigeria. Our data is derived from both primary and secondary
sources of data gathering. In other to test the reliability of the data
generated from random population sampling through interview and questionnaire,
a pilot study was conducted. Statements relating to the scope of the research
were analyzed and determining by percentage scores and presented descriptively
with graphs and tables illustrations e.t.c. The data from the secondary source were
analyzed by content analysis. The study find out that Boko Haram is a response
to global Islamist fundamentalist movement determined to purge Islam of western
civilization and imperialist exploitation. The study reveals serious security
and development challenges for the federal government as a result of Boko Haram
terrorist activities. The research find out that Boko Haram ideological and
philosophical mission is not to Islamized Nigeria, neither is the sect created
to destabilized president Goodluck Jonathan’s government. The study unraveled
the challenges confronting the Nigerian government in the fight against Boko
Haram terrorism and examined measures taken to tackle these problems. Based on
the findings and challenges, we recommended among others, that the
international communities, especially the west, must develop a strategy on how
best to managed conflicts of clash of civilization. We also recommended that
the federal government should embark on general overhaul of all its security
forces and apparatus and to ensure good governance at all levels of government.
CHAPTER
ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 HISTORICAL
BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
The word is fast changing. Every
society is now associated with one terrorist group or the other (Bamgbose,
2013). The ugly phenomenon of terrorism became pronounced in the world in the
1970s especially with the 1972 black Septembist kidnapping of Jews athletes
during the Munich Olympics, and of the plane that led to the Israeli raid on
Entebbe Airport in 1976 to free Jewish hostages (Nwolise, 2007). However, with
the end of the cold war and the collapse of the soviet power and other
communist party regimes in the Eastern Europe, a new set of terrorism has come
to be added to those old ones. Islamic fundamentalist is now been talked about
as the source of the terrorism troubling today’s world, and deliberately aimed
at filling the void created by the collapse of internal communism (Adekanye, 2014).
The attempt to forcefully impose
religious ideology or belief on the Nigerian society since her independence in
1960 especially in the Northern part is not new. It is imperative to note that
it is the trend from the time when Usman Dan Fodio unleashed his Jihad which
swept all the states in the Northern part of Nigeria. However, in modern times,
the trend seems to continue, and the first major attempt in the post colonial
period was led by the leader of the Maitatsine sectarian group in 1980s which eventually
led to large scale uprisings (Abimbola, 2012). Thus, it can therefore be said
that the emergence of this dreaded Islamic sect popularly known as Boko Haram
had its root and inspiration from colonial period as well as from the
“Maitatsine” uprisings of the early 1980s in particular. Although Boko Haram
could be compared in terms of philosophy, ideology and objectives to the
Maitatsine sectarian group, its organizational planning, armed resistance, and
modus operandi is Taliban (Danjibo, 2009). During the colonial era, a
revolutionary Mahdism which received little elite support but attracted
“radical clerics”, disgruntled peasants and fugitive slaves sought
unsuccessfully to overthrow the British colonial regime which controlled the
Sokoto caliphate founded after the Jihad of Usman Dan Fodio. With stark resonance
to today, northern Muslim elites made a pact with the British colonialist that
they would rule indirectly in return for British education not being imposed on
the protectorate (Dearn, 2011). Although, the maitatsine uprisings of the early
1980s, inspired by Cameroonian dissident preacher, Muhammadu Marwa, catalyzed
by massive socio-economic inequality and, following on from constitutional
debates in 1977 which polarized the country, were the first incidence of
Islamic fundamentalist agitation against the secular State in Nigeria. About
the same time, two other Islamic fundamentalist groups emerged viz Jama’atu
Izalatil Bidi’a Wa’iqamatic Sunna (society of Removal of Sunna”), founded, 1978
in Jos and known as “Izala” and the Islamic movement of Nigeria, a shitte movement
led by Shelkh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, funded by Iran and in which Yusuf was thought
to be a “major player” – exactly how and when Yusuf was involved and how this
related to his links with Sheikh Jafar is unclear (Dearn, 2011). Though some
people have argued that both groups have been associated with Boko Haram’s
modern incarnation, there is no substantial evidence to justify this claim…. In
2009, the Islamic movement of Nigeria rebutted claims that El – Zakzaky was the
founder of Boko Haram, arguing it could never be so against western education
when it owns 300 schools in Nigeria which teach a mixture of Islamic and
Western education. Izala threatened legal action against publishers of pictures
of its members labelled as Boko Haram foot soldiers. What is clear is that the
combination of constitutional debates in the 1970s, military rule under
successive despots – including the jailing of El – Zakzaky by Sani Abacha’s
regime entrenched poverty in areas where such groups are active and have been
grist to the fundamentalists’ endmist (Dearn, 2011).
The time that this Islamic militant
group emerged in the country is yet unknown. There were series of conflicting
reports on their emergence in the northern part of the country. Information at
the disposal of different security agencies pieced together, indicated that
contrary to the widely-held belief that Boko Haram has been existing since 1995
(Tribune, 2012), it was, however, confirmed that the entry of slain Mallam
Mohammed Yusuf is the one who successfully radicalized the group and opened it
to foreign collaboration, especially with Al-Qaeda in Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). The literature
revealed that the Jama’ atul Ahlus Sunnah Lidda’ await Wal Jihad (Brethen
United in the pursuit of holy war), also known as Boko Haram, started off its
activism in 2001, under the leadership of the Late Yusuf. From that year, the
group had intensified its propagation of an extreme Islamic doctrine, which
sees western education and democracy as corruptive and immoral (Tribune, 2012).
Initially, the sect was not taken seriously. But with each passing day, its
activities become more deadly and its modus operandi become sophisticated that
it became one of the major security challenges for Nigeria.
One other sources recorded that, the
name “Boko” was derived from “Boka” or sorcerer – a character associated with
shirk which is an automatic act of disbelief and the most repugnant act of Islam
(Bamgbose, 2013). Boko Haram exact date of emergence is shrouded in
controversy. An account credited to the then Nigeria Director of Defence
Information, Colonel Muhammed Yerima, says that the sect existed since 1995,
under the name of Alhlusunna Wal’ jama’ ahhijra (Ezeani & Chilaka, 2013).
It was led at the time by Abubakar Lawan, who later left the country for
studies at the University of Medina in Saudi Arabia. Since then, the sect has
flourished under various names such as Muhajrun, Yusufi Yyah sect, Nigerian
Taliaban and Boko Haram (Onuoha, 2009). Again, one other source has it that they
operated in 1995 under the name shabaab, Muslim Youth Organization and operated
from the Idimi Mosque, located along Damboa road, Maiduguri, Borno State and
had one Mallam Lawan as leader and another Mallam Usman as secretary
(Http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BokoHaram). In 1999, Abubakar Lawan while leaving
for Saudi Arabia for studies, handed over the leadership of the group to Late
Mustapha Modu Jon, popularly known as Mohammed Yusuf. The sect acquires
enormous influence and popularity under the leadership of Mohammed Yusuf. The
name become the rallying point for members of the sect, as he was said to have
laid the foundation for the growth of the organization (Onuoha, 2012).
Yet another account has it that Boko
Haram’s origin is traced to a group of radical Islamist youths who worshipped
at the Alhaji Muhammadu Ndimi mosque in Maiduguri, a decade ago hence in 2002,
an offshoot of this youth group (not yet known as Boko Haram) declared the city
and the Islamic establishment to be intolerably corrupt and irredeemable
(Anyadike, 2013). Thus, the group declared that it was embarking on jigra (a
withdrawal along the lines of the prophet Muhammad’s from Mecca to Medina).
Consequently, it moved from Maiduguri to a village called Kanama, Yobe State
near the border with Niger, to set up a separatist community run on hard line
Islamic principles. It’s leader Mohammed Ali espoused anti-state ideology and
called on other Muslims to join the group and return to a life under “true”
Islamic law with the aim of making a more perfect society away from the corrupt
establishment.
There is confusion and conflict
surrounding the actual date of emergence, origin and leadership of the sect as
stated earlier on. For instance, (Alozieuwa 2012) documented that the confusion
not only reflects in the narratives about the exact date, and who the actual
founder was, but also as to the true source of expositions and Adibe (Adibe, 2013)
for example, has observed that the popular belief is that it was founded around
2001 or 2002; while Madike, traced the date to as far back as 1995 (Madike,
2013). This is also the position of director of defence information, Col.
Muhammed Yerima. Adibe opines that, one Lawan Abubakar, who later left for
further studies at the University of Medina, Saudi Arabia actually founded the
Boko Haram sect. Under Abubakar, the sect was known as sahaba. Elsewhere, these
expositions are credited to Shehu Sani, a civil right activist in northern
Nigeria, who helped broker the first peace deal with the sect which failed (Madike,
2013). There are so many competing sources. Gusau’s version traced the origin
to an evangelical group formed by Muslims students at the University of
Maiduguri, Borno State, who reportedly felt dissatisfied with western
education.
Muhammed Yusuf to whom the formation is
now generally ascribed to, according to the competing narratives only assumed
leadership after Abubakar’s departure and he “indoctrinated the sect with his
own teachings, which he claimed were based on purity (Businessday, 2012). Yusuf’s
notion of “purity” and teachings were inspired by the works of Ibu Taymiyya, a
fourteenth century legal scholar who preached Islamic fundamentalism and is
considered a “major theorist” for radical groups in the Middle East after whom
Yusuf named his mosque in Maiduguri (Businessday, 2012). It is imperative to
note that the sect itself may be less concerned about whom to credit for its
formation than waging its war against the Nigerian State. The State too may be
less concerned with the origin than it is with the threat that the group now
poses to national security. The obscurity surrounding its true origin perhaps
informs why initially, the sect “had no specific name as its members attracted
several descriptions where they operated based on the perception of the local
population” such names include Taliban and the Yussufiyyah. The sect was also
formally identified as Ahulsunna Wal’ Jama’ah Hijra ‘congregation of followers
of the prophet involved in the call to Islam and Religions Struggle’. The name
Boko Haram, to which it is now commonly referred to, derives from the sect’s
anti-western posturing, literarily meaning “western education/civilization is a
sin”.
The philosophy of the sect emanated
from Orthodox Islam teaching resembling that of the Taliban in Afghanistan and
Pakistan, which treats anything western as completely un-Islamic. It considers
western influence on Islamic society as the basis of the religion’s weakness.
Hence, the sect’s declaration that conventional banking, taxation, jurisprudence,
western education and indeed all western institutions are infidel and as such
must be avoided by Muslim (The Nation, 2011) This explains the reason the sect
is popularly known as Boko Haram, literally meaning ‘western education is a
sin’. The term Boko Haram is derived from a combination of the Hausa word Boko,
meaning ‘Book’, and the Arabic word Haram, which means ‘sinful’ or forbidden.
However, a statement released in August 2009 by a self-acclaimed interim leader
of the sect, Mallam Sani Umaru, rejected media description of the sect as Boko
Haram. He stated inter alia,
Boko Haram does not in any way mean
‘Western Education is a sin’ as the infidel media continue to portray us. Boko
Haram actually means ‘Western Civilization’ is forbidden. The difference is
that while the first gives the impression that we are opposed to formal
education coming from the west… which is not true, the second affirms our
belief in the supremacy of Islamic culture (not education), for culture is
broader, it includes education but not determined by Western Education (Onuoha, 2013).
The sect choose to be addressed as the
Jama’atu Ahlissunnah Lidda’awatiwal Jihad, meaning a “people committed to the
propagation of the prophets’ teachings and Jihad”. Although, the sect’s name may
have changed over the years, its ideological mission is quite clear, namely; to
overthrow the secular Nigeria State and impose strict Islamic Sharia law in the
entire country. A member of the sect had stated that their mission was to
‘clean the (Nigeria) system which is polluted by western education and uphold
Sharia all over the country (Onuoha, 2013).
The sect believed strongly on its
mission and the different names it is addressed is immaterial. What matter is
the philosophy, which is rooted in the practice of Orthodox Islam. Orthodox
Islam in their interpretation abhors western education and working in the civil
service, Boko Haram meaning “western education is a sin (Vanguard, 2009). The
group strongly opposes western way of life; democratic institutions,
constitutional laws and the institution of the Nigerian State. It is a jihadist
movement that strives to destroy democracy and establish a Sharia State in
Nigeria.
According to Hamzard 2009, the group
can also be said to be anti-Christian going by its recent activities of
attacking Christians and bombing churches. This claim is subjective though, yet,
the sect believes in the radicalization of its members and uses the internet to
propagate its violent ideology. They are motivated by the conviction that the
Nigerian State is filled with social vices, and thus “the best thing for a
devout Muslim to do was to “migrate” from the morally bankrupt society to a
secluded place and establish an ideal Islamic society devoid of political
corruption and moral deprivation (Hamzard, 2009), Non-members were
therefore considered as Kuffar (disbelievers; those who deny the truth) Fasigun
(wrong-doers) (Da’ wah coordination council of Nigeria). Members wore long
beards, wear red or black headscarves and reject the use of certain modern
(purportedly western) goods; such as wrist watches and safety helmets.
Recently, the sect have capture and seize, Gwarzo, a town in Borno State which
has become the centre of its activities. They declare the area a sovereign
state; independent of Nigeria, hoist their flag and appointed an Emir in
consonance with their philosophy and ideology. The irony of all these, however,
is that they do not reject or refuse to use technological products such as
“motorcycles, cars, cellular phones AK 47 guns, and other benefits that derived
from western civilization” (Onouha, 2012).
Finally, Boko Haram’s ideology is part
of a global salafist Islamic ideological movement that seek the imposition of
it’s own interpretation of Islamic laws (Akanji, 2009). Salafism
seeks to purge Islam of outside influences and strives for return to the Islam
practiced by the “pious ancestors”, that is Muhammad and the early Islamic
community. It stresses adherence to a rigorist’s interpretation of the Quran
and the Hadith and aims at reforming the personal behaviour of every Muslims.
It also involve the duty to advice other believers to change their ways of
lives in the sense. Salafi thinkers insist on the right of believers to
interpret the fundamental texts for themselves through independent reasoning.
However, radical Salafisal –salafist Jihadism preach and legitimize the use of
violence to bring about radical change.
Since the July 2009 revolt, the Boko
Haram has evolved from a sect that waged poorly planned ‘hit – and run’ attacks
on State security services establishment to one that increasingly uses
improvised devices (IEDs), targeted assignation, drive – by – shooting “suicide
bombings, in its violent campaign abduction and kidnappings. Its attacks
focused initially on security personnel and law –enforcement agents – police –
soldiers, civil defence and prisons warders, and later added, public
infrastructure, community and religious leaders, politicians, centres of
worship and other civilian targets that have nothing to do with the government.
The sect has added markets, public schools, hospitals, tertiary institutions,
secondary and primary schools, media houses in the list of its ruthless
attacks.
The insurgency which started as a
national crisis has gained an international character following the attack on
the United Nations building in Abuja on 26th August 2011. The attack
confirmed evidence of its connections to other jihadist groups in Africa and
the June 2012 designation of three of its leaders as global terrorists by the
United State Department. The Nyayan bombings in Abuja and the abduction of secondary
school girls in Chibok has increased the attention of international
communities. Since those two incidences, there have been series of bombings and
attacks on villages in quest for food in Borno, Plateau and Adamawa State. The activities
of the sect have posed serious challenges to Nigeria national security and
development stride. The challenge posed by the Boko Haram sect in Nigeria is
not only about the viciousness of either its terror campaigns or the sect’s
avowed mission to impose Islamic law on the country, but about the confusion
regarding the exact causes of the violence. However, many theories that have
emerged to explain the problem are broadly revolving around socio-economic,
political and religious themes; all of which in our estimation do not fully
explain the reason for such violence, brutality and cruelty in one’s own
country against his/her brothers. Consequently, this thesis is inspired to
explore the fundamental causes and implications of Boko Haram terrorist attack for
peace, security, development and other related problems in Nigeria.
1.2 STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
The emergence of the Islamist
terrorist movement known as Boko Haram into the Nigerian criminal landscape
since 1999 had a dramatic impacts on Nigeria as a nation. The rise of the
terrorist group into the country’s crime space has led to negative security rating
of the country by the Global Terrorism Index (GTI). Nigeria, formally peaceful
and accommodating people that attract tourists around the world, now became so
dreadful that nations warned their nationals to either stay away or not to be
made a travel destination. Foreign businessmen and investors are scared away
from Nigeria. Nigeria was rated a less favourable place to invest than even
Sudan that have been drawn in a long separatist war. The Boko Haram insurgency
has earned Nigeria the enviable third most terrorized nation of the world. The
sect occupied the position of the world’s most brutal conflicts, with at least
over 350, 000 people killed since the insurgent’s increasing intensification of
its terror activities in 2009. Statistics shown that more than 20 million
people have either been displaced, relocated or living in Internally Displaced
Persons Camps (IDPs) abducted or kidnapped and property worth over 5 billion
naira destroyed. People especially, in the northeastern part of the country
where the sect’s activities are mostly concentrated, are not sure or certain of
their safety each second that passed. They are faced with unsecured future,
doubtful of their existentialism as a result of Boko Haram protracted terrorism
and to seemingly inadequately guarded or protected violence environment.
The Boko Haram insurgents activities
has call to questioned the ability of the Nigerian state to provide internal
security to her citizenry, protect her territorial integrity, and keep her
sovereignty intact, ever since they captured and declared Gwazo, a city in
Borno State as the headquarters of their Islamist State. Thereafter, they declared
their independence and hoisted flag different from the Nigeria flag as their flag.
It is however, obvious that the activities of Boko Haram in the northeast have
serious implications for peace, security and development for Nigeria.
Consequently, there is urgent need by scholars, policy makers and stakeholders
to unmasked the causes and grievances of the sect continued terror attacks on
innocent Nigerians with its attendant peace, security and development
implications. Our problem of research which stemmed from this concerned
therefore, is to unravel the causes and implications of the Boko Haram
terrorism and how it impacted on peace, security and development in Nigeria
1.3 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
There is no doubt that much has been
written and published by scholars about the Boko Haram Islamist extremist
terrorist movement in the northeast. However, there is the need to undertake
more rigorous research as the sect’s activities remained unabated. To do this
successfully, we are guided by some unsuccessfully answered questions about
Boko Haram insurgency which will provide the fulcrum to guide the conduct of
the research. Consequently, the following questions will be answered among others
in this research. These are:
i.
What is the origin, root causes, motives
and dynamics behind Boko Haram terrorism in Nigeria?
ii.
What are the implications of Boko Haram
terror activities for peace, security and development in Nigeria?
iii.
Is there any association between global
Islamist fundamentalist fighting to purge Islam free from western cultural
dominance and Boko Haram terrorism in Nigeria?
iv.
What are the challenges faced by the
government and measures adopted to curb the continued insurgence of the
movement in Nigeria?
These and other related questions as may
arises that the research is set out to addressed.
1.4 OBJECTIVES
OF THE STUDY
The specific objective of the research
among others is to examine the implications of Boko Haram Islamic terrorist
activities on peace, security and development in Nigeria. The other objectives
are to provide holistic understanding of the nature, character and dynamics and
proffer solutions on how to tackle the sect terrorism. Consequently, therefore,
the specific objectives are:
i.
To examine the origin, root causes,
motives and dynamics behind Boko Haram terrorism in Nigeria?
ii.
To examine the implications of Boko
Haram terror activities on peace, security and development in Nigeria?
iii.
To unravel the nexus between clash
of civilization, cultural dominance and Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria.
iv.
To analyze the challenges
confronting government in the fight against Boko Haram terrorism and evaluate
the measure put in place to tackle the insurgence with a view to providing solutions
to the menance.
1.5 SIGNIFICANCE
OF THE STUDY
Nigeria as a nation is passing through a
tough time in the history of its nation building project. Besides, other
problems associated with poor governance, terrorism has adds it weight to the
enormous challenges the country has to contend with in its development drive.
One of the most teething challenges is the scourge terrorism and militant
organizations that are spread across the country have inflicted on its human
resources, properties and natural endowments. The latest of these murderous
groups is Boko Haram operating deadly in the North-East. At the time when
Nigeria is grasping with the problem of how to surmount the challenges of
development, the emergence of the Boko Haram poses great threat to peace and
security and by extension on economic/political developments. The need, to
especially put an end to the Boko Haram menace becomes imperative.
Consequently, this thesis is significant at this time when all hands are on
deck to find solutions to the issue of terrorism, particularly the Boko Haram, terrorist
activities for the following reasons.
i.
The study unravels the challenges and
implications for peace, security and development which the Boko Haram terrorism
has plagued the country into.
ii.
The study offer intellectual insight
into the overall evolutionary dynamics of the Boko Haram terrorist group in
Nigeria.
iii.
The study provides us with a tool for
understanding the fundamental causes and motives of Boko Haram murderous activities
in Nigeria and elsewhere.
iv.
The study provides scholars a reference
point for analyzing and understanding similar insurgency in Nigeria and
elsewhere in the future.
v.
Policy makers and experts in terrorisms
will gain much insight from the data generated from this research to formulate
and implement policies on security dilemma and challenges of counter-terrorism
generally.
1.6 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
The study area is the entire Nigeria as
a country. This is essentially so because, the activities of Boko Haram and its
concomitant effects may have no limited jurisdiction. This is as result of the
fact that each bomb detonated on the Nigerian soil has tremendous effect on the
entire country. For instance, in terms of the economy, foreign investors have
fled northeast in their numbers. On the other hand, lives of Nigerians have
been loss in the process as some writers have refused to say the estimated
figure but there are reasons to believe that about (250, 000) Nigerians have lost
their lives in the Boko Haram saga. A single life loss in this
country is a colossal lost of hope as human life is sacred. Properties worth
billions have been lost in inferno as a result of the deadly activities of the
sect. Many families have also lost their homes and businesses. Some even lost
their marriages in the process. These are national lost, and therefore serve as
a threat to the furtherance of the course of the Nigerian State. For these
reasons, the research takes a national outlook by covering the six geopolitical
zones of the country.
1.7 LIMITATION OF THE STUDY
There is no human endeavour without
constraints. Thus, while the researcher may be tempted to point to numerous
factors, the major constraints remain the daunting challenges of soliciting
specific information and data needed for the study. In the North central and
northeast, especially where most of the respondents interviewed orally, do not
understand English, not even signs, the researcher have to engage the services
of research assistant and resource persons. Language barrier and level of literacy
were constraints. However, we were able to manage it in the manner we stated
above. Again, most security information is classified as top secret, which is
appreciated from security stand point. On the other hand, it is not possible to
derive first hand information on the activities of the sect from its
leadership, other than those they published on the internet, memos, radio or
television broadcast. The information from the sect leadership may not be
absolutely reliable and valid as a primary source. However, the problem was obviated
by soliciting information from alternative sources as discussion groups, pilot
study with relevant people e.t.c.
1.8 CONCEPTUAL CLARIFICATION
i. Terrorism
There is no universally agreed, legally
binding criminal law definitions of terrorism. Common definition of terrorism refer only to those violent acts
which are intended to create fear (terror), perpetrated for a religious,
political or ideological goal, deliberately target or disregard the safety of
non-combatant (civilians) and are committed by non-government agencies
(Orobator, 2005). Whether or not one uses ‘terrorist’ to describe violent acts
depends on whether one thinks that the acts are warranted. Terrorism is the
systematic use of terror especially as a means of coercion. To a large extent
the use of the term depends on one’s world view. If the world is perceived as
peaceful, violent acts appear as terrorism. If the world is thought to be at
war, violent acts may be regarded as legitimate.
There are often political
implications when the term “terrorist” is used. Many groups considered themselves
to be freedom fighters, not terrorists. Accordingly, terrorism involve acts
aimed at non-combatants and the use of violence for dramatic purpose, namely;
to instill fear. Therefore, militants, whether they are a group of insurgents
or a civil government may often use terrorist tactics or methods. As will be
used in this research, terrorism refers only to those violent acts which are
intended to create fear (terror), are perpetrated for a religious, political,
economic or ideological goal, deliberately targeted or disregard the safety of
non- combatant (civilians) and are committed by non-government agencies. This
perspective or definition does not exclude state sponsor terrorism because
there is no state that creates any agency for the sole purpose of carrying out
terrorist activities. All states sponsor terrorism is clandestine and they use
non-government agencies.
ii. Peace
In this thesis, peace refers to
absence of hostility. It is an environment that is characterized by healthy
interpersonal relations. Peace means freedom from public disturbance or war.
That is, a situation or period that there is no war or conflict of any sought
that interfere with peoples’ ability to live in harmony with their environment.
It is a situation or condition of tangibility existing in a community or state
that guarantee freedom from fear of violence attack, that would prevent them to
harness their innate ability to exploit their immediate environment for their
benefits. There is peace, when people are able to resolve their conflicts
without violence and can work together to improve the quality of their lives.
It occurs between heterogeneous social groups and is characterized by a lack of
conflict and freedom from fear of attack. Peace therefore, is essential to everyday
life and to our overall well-being. When everyone is able to participate in
shaping political, economic and social decisions, has fair and equal access to
the basic needs for their wellbeing – such as healthcare, food, decent living
environment, have equal opportunities to work and make a living regardless of
gender, ethnicity or any other aspect of identify, then, a peaceful situation
or condition have existed. Peace is important in order to avoid unnecessary
conflict and violence that might hinder freedom to pursue our dreams, progress
or development. Peaceful society is important because we need a better world
for our next generation.
ii. Security
Security in this study means the
state of being free from the danger or threat to chronic hunger, diseases,
repression, shelter, job and protection of one’s property from destruction. It
is the protection of a person, building, organization, or country against
threats. Security is the degree of resistance to or protection from harm. It
implies to any vulnerable and/or valuable asset, such as people and property.
There have been various definitions and school of thoughts on the precise
meaning of security. The term security has remained a contentious and highly
emotive concept. This is because the concept itself is not easy to define. The
New International Webster’s Comprehensive Dictionary of English Language
defined security as “the state of being secure, especially, freedom from
danger, risk, care, poverty, or apprehension”.
This definition seems elaborate to an extent. However, questions may
still be asked as to what constitute danger, risk, care and apprehension. As
for poverty, it is clearly understood. One could face the danger, risk and be
apprehensive if he fails in business endeavours. McNamara argued that the
“security of any nation or entity is not link to its military preparedness
alone” and therefore asserts that:
in a modernizing society. Security
means development. Security is not military force though it may involve it,
security is not traditional military activities, though it involves it.
Security is development and without development there can be no security (McNamara,
1988).
Since the end of the Cold War there has
been renewed interest to conceptualize the concept of ‘security’. This allows
policymakers and scholars to think about security as something more than the
defense of State interest and territory.
Second, military threats have been the dominant focus of security to the
neglect of other areas. Leading this new approach at considering issues of
security in a new light is the scholar (Buzan, 1991:120). He puts forward the idea that security should
encompass military, political, economic, social and environmental aspects. It
is said to have two main aspects. It means first, safety from such chronic
threats as hunger, diseases and repression. Second, it means protection from
sudden and harmful disruptions in the patterns of daily life whether in homes,
in jobs or in communities.
iii. Development
In this research, development
implies the manifestation of improvement in the conditions of man and society.
That is, it is the manifestation of change in the distinctive character of the
society, resulting in qualitative and quantitative improvement in the nature
and conditions of the society. Hence, national development as conceived in this
research refers to the ability of the nation to improve the lives of Nigeria
and the northeast region in particular. In this case, measures of improvement
may be material / economic such as increase in gross domestic product, poverty
rule, unemployment rate, economic inequality or social, such as literacy rates
and availability of heathecare; political such as freedom to participate in the
political processes. Development goals are conceived to improve on the lives of
the people in question within the context of a growing economy and emphasis on
the good of the community as a whole. Development indices include an emphasis
on reducing poverty, unemployment, inequality, affordable and available housing,
healthcare, education, participation in the political process, infrastructure
and community development.
Achieving human development is linked to
peace and security. Development could only be attained in an environment which
frees people from obstacles that affect their ability to develop their own
lives and communities. It is empowerment, which concern local people control of
their own lives, and this can only be possible when there is peace and
security. Development is closely linked with peace and security. The absence of
peace and security simply means that the people will not be free to live long
and healthy life; to be knowledgeable, to have access to the resources needed
for a decent standard of living and to be able to participate in the life of
the community. The numerous crises rocking Nigeria, especially the Boko Haram
activities cannot afford the people to actualize their development goals.
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