Boko Haram: Motivations, Aims, and Government Response

This article discusses the motivations and aims of Boko Haram, an Islamist group in Nigeria, and examines the Nigerian government's response to the insurgency. It explores the factors that have contributed to the group's growth, such as poverty, unemployment, and religious and ethnic tensions. The article also highlights the international intervention and support Nigeria has received in its fight against Boko Haram.

Contemporary historical issues
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Introduction
Over the years, the emergence of Boko Haram has led to a great threat in one of Africa's most
popular country, Nigeria. This particular insurgency being led by an Islamist group has
contributed thousands of death in the current years. The violence has also increased and got into
other bordering countries like Lake Chad basin. Boko haram brutal campaigns have involved
carrying out attacks on several schools, burning villages, various girls’ abductions, increased
religious difference tensions, political corruption and widening of the economic gap in Nigeria.
The groups flame also include the countries police and high counter-terrorism techniques.
Book Haram is typically an Islamist group which is mainly located in the northeast parts of
Nigeria. According to research, it was mainly founded by Mohamed Yusuf, a very key Islamist
cleric. It was started in a region called Maiduguri in the year 2012. The initial objective of the
group was to ensure the implementation of the existing Islamic state with critical sharia criminal
courts.
It has thousands of members who join voluntarily and forced recruitment of youths. Most
members are from eastern Nigeria and other neighboring regions hence continuing to wreak
havoc and incurring tremendous losses across the entire nation. It is evident that this particular
group mostly exploits poor economic and social condition existing in various parts of Nigeria in
order to attract new members to join. Some are offered diverse economic prospects and others
join to avoid persecution by the militia groups. Other members join as a result of coercion from
pressure inserted by family members. Others are kidnapped and go forced captivity in order to
serve the militia.various captives like women and children are literally forced to carry out
surprise attacks like act as suicide bombers.it acquires its funding through the use of criminal

activities like arms dealing, human trafficking, extortion, bank robberies, cash looting, fraud,
ransom cash from kidnappings, acquire funds and weapons from al-Qaida groups.
What is the motivation behind the group?
Boko Haram group mainly aims to make northern Nigeria a huge Islamic state. Even though it
comprises of several toes to other African terrorist groups, it has a minimal number of jihadist
motivations beyond Nigeria. Thus western interests are fewer targets of its attacks.
Over the years, its claim that bad governance,corruption, increased inequality, and increased
economic disparities and hardships have been their aim which has fostered the rampant
development of various radical extremist groups in as part of their motivations.1
Also, various analyst argues that Boko Haram motivation to increase its insurgency was based on
the impact of deep religious and ethnic cleavages which had troubled the country for a given
period of time.
It has been seen as rather a resistance movement against misrule. According to various studies,
some of the reasons motivating men to serve in book haram are increased unemployment rates,
poverty, being manipulated by various extremist religious powers, minimal awareness of the key
teachings of the Islamic religion. 2They are mostly motivated to target various institutions of the
Nigerian government, police stations, security men and also military barracks.
The nation is also faced by religious difference having a clear split between Muslim dominated
regions and Christian dominated parts. 3They are motivated by the inclusion of an informal
1 Bowie, Neil G., and Alex P. Schmid. Databases on terrorism. Routledge Handbooks Online, 2011.
2 Sullivan, Mark P. Latin America: terrorism issues. DIANE Publishing, 2011.
3 Niksch, Larry. North Korea: Terrorism List Removal?. DIANE Publishing, 2010.

power rotation agreement for president. However, the political friction existing contributes
immensely to the continuing unrest and instability.
The aims have however changed rapidly like targeting churches, schools, mosques and bus
terminuses. 4The group thus attacks both Christian and Muslims in their rampant attacks.
Oil mining has played a huge responsibility in the driving of economic inequality across the
nation. 5Various elite groups have long held on the available oil revenues whereas corrupt
government official s and ministers have had a case of misappropriation and embezzlements of
funds from the mining sector hence motivating book haram to increase their operations.
According to analysts, the insurgency of book haram group indicates maturation of a log tern
extremist impulse that runs in the social reality of Nigerian regions.it is seen as an after effect of
years of failed governance and lite delinquency which have increased to social chaos.
Since independence, Nigeria has been faced by rampant political instability and high poverty
levels since lives have been lost from a blockade induced famine.
Are the aims of the group still the same thirteen years later?
Boko haram interest has evolved into two factions after the death of its leader Yusuf.Currently,
Abubakar shekau leads one specific faction which is seen to be aimed at fighting the Nigerian
4 LaFree, G., 2010. The Global Terrorism Database (GTD) Accomplishments and
Challenges. Perspectives on Terrorism, 4(1), pp.24-46.
5 Kis-Katos, Krisztina, Helge Liebert, and Günther G. Schulze. "On the origin of domestic and international
terrorism." European Journal of Political Economy 27 (2011): S17-S36.

government in the northeast region.6 Nigerians military has claimed to have killed him but it's
still not clear since his videos have emerged in recent years.
Abu Musab who is Yusuf's son powers the second existing faction. Its aims are similar to that of
the 1st saction sparking various atrocities within the entire group.
There have been allegiance aims as assessment indicates that book haram has close links with
other militant Islamism groups like the al-Qaeda. Individual argue that focusing on increased
affiliation to these external groups lowers the context with which Boko haram initially emerged.
Other people mainly argue that ignoring evidence of the group's closer ties with other Islamism
militants hinders the understanding the insurgency.7
With increased revolution and technology 13 years later, the aims of this particular group have
changed and diversified reaching to other nations.
How has the Nigerian government responded?
It is evident that after various military fights and efforts to end the menace of this particular
group, the Nigerian government released that it has not been actually and completely defeated.
This prompted various reactions and responses.
In the year 2013, president Good luck Jonathan literally declared a state of emergency following
the group's activities.8 The government also responded by declaring it a terrorist organization.
6 Mullins, Sam. "Home-grown terrorism: Issues and implications." Perspectives on terrorism 1, no. 3
(2010).
7 Blanchard, Lauren Ploch. "Nigeria's Boko Haram: Frequently Asked Questions.",34
8 Conlon, Sumali J., Alan S. Abrahams, and Lakisha L. Simmons. "Terrorism information extraction from
online reports." Journal of Computer Information Systems 55, no. 3 (2015): 20-28.

The existing federal authority designed a joint task force comprising of elite police troops,
soldiers and security intelligence agents in order to counter book haram both through the use of
surprise attacks on land and bombing their camps from the air. The inadequately funded response
was mainly supplemented by various vigilantes from the existing civilian joint task force troops.
They managed to chase the group's members from cities, however, the rural areas continued to
be rampantly attacked.9 The troops have led to violence and deaths, they have also been accused
of human rights violations and extrajudicial killings. While the national forces have claimed
some success in the pushing of the militia out of their hiding camps, attacks still continue
The existing Nigerian security forces have ultimately made great efforts and gains in fighting the
militia group with the continued aid from neighboring states. However, the momentum to fight
out an insurgent group is seen to have slowed in the current era as the communities in the
northern region of Nigeria remain to face the consequences of their rampant attacks.
Between 2014 and 2015, the groups attack increased tremendously raising high doubts of the
authority's progress towards ending the menace.in various activities, Boko Haram bombed an
Abuja bus station killing approximately 100mindividuals.on the same fateful day, it abducted a
total of 200 school girls.10 This led to international outcry leading to harsh criticism among the
citizens regarding Jonathan's reign slow response.
9 Conlon, Sumali J., Alan S. Abrahams, and Lakisha L. Simmons. "Terrorism information extraction from
online reports." Journal of Computer Information Systems 55, no. 3 (2015): 20-28.
10 Dreher, Axel, Martin Gassebner, and Lars-H. Siemers. "Does terrorism threaten human rights?
Evidence from panel data." The Journal of Law and Economics 53, no. 1 (2010): 65-93.

In the current era, the elected president, Muhammadu Buhari has brought about various modest
responses regarding the issue. These responses include improvement of the military effectiveness
against the group through training of the military.As a former military head and renowned
dictator, he has responded by moving the military headquarters from Abuja to Maiduguri in
order to ensure close proximity and immediate responses in case of attacks and monitor the
activities of book haram. He has also increased funds for the military activities in these particular
areas and hot points. The government has also responded through the appointment of new
military leadership to oversee the operation required to fight Boko Haram from various
dimensions.11
Was there intervention from any other country?
Over the years Nigeria has sought for military aid and intervention from its immediate neighbors
who also have continued to suffer various attacks during the rampant book haram upsurge. Since
the year 2015, countries such as Cameroon, Chad, Niger have intervened to support Nigeria with
troops forming part of a multinational force under the African Union. This particular coalition
has acquired credits through supporting the Nigerian military proclaim a huge track of its
territory.it has ensured that violence has decreased.
Conversely, security partners beyond African territories have also come together in helping
Nigeria counter the terrorist attacks.these countries include the united states and Australia. For
instance,the US has indicated boo harm to be a foreign terrorist organization.12Following the
11 Rollins, John, and Liana Sun Wyler. Terrorism and transnational crime: Foreign policy issues for
Congress. Vol. 1. Congressional Research Service, 2013.
12 Olaniyan, Azeez, and Lucky Asuelime. "Boko Haram insurgency and the widening of
cleavages in Nigeria,344

increased abductions in Chibok, France by Boko Haram, the united kingdom also pledged huge
aid such as offering weapons, various equipment's and providing intelligence support. The US
Government under Donald Trump has continued offering support to Nigeria. Its assistance
totaled an estimated $600 million deal to offer various super Tucan aircraft as a support measure
regarding counterterrorism strategies. The UN Security Council played a huge part in the
imposition of key economic sanctions and arms embargo on the insurgent Boko Haram. This
particular strategy was highly symbolic since financial assets and movements of the group's
militants could be tracked easily.
The United States strategy to help Nigeria.
US Strategy
The US has continued to support Nigerian nationals working for human rights and advocacy. It
has also revoked the US visas for those Nigerians who promote ethnic and religious violence and
those individuals who fund and commit criminal activities. It has also encouraged Abuja to
modify the culture of its military and elite police troops.it has added its CFR resources to
Nigeria.it has provided a national security tracker which is typically an interactive map that
analyses violence in Nigeria.13
The US representative to the United Nations Samantha Power has sworn to back to nations
engaged with the battle against Boko Haram Islamists. Power owned the expression while in
Nigeria, having visited Chad and Cameroon.
13 Jongman, Berto. "Internet Websites and Links for (Counter-) Terrorism Research." Perspectives on
Terrorism 5, no. 1 (2011).

It's a sort of fortification that the United State and other outside governments are strong of tasks
that go for evacuating the Boko Haram Islamists.14It's additionally a sort of acknowledgment that
the Boko Haram risk has advanced and extended outside of Northeastern Nigeria and become an
issue of provincial suggestions which needs a territorial as well as a universal reaction.
Relations between the Nigerian and the US government. They [relations] were prior stressed
amid previous President Good luck Jonathan's routine blamed the US government for neglecting
to sell the weapons that the Nigerian government required in the battle against Boko Haram. It
was expressed that the US government were concerned and hesitant to sell the Nigerian military
any type of weaponry because of the long-standing cases of human right maltreatment by the
military in the battle against Boko Haram and furthermore in activities somewhere else.
At the point when Mohammed Buhari assumed control over the administration; there was
accentuation on taking a gander at reinforcing relations with plenty of worldwide nations, the US
is one of them. 15
They are providing armed forces not exclusively to Cameroon however to Niger also. Be that as
it may, these powers are not partaking in any battle activities. What they are doing is gaining
practical experience in the preparation of counterterrorism powers of the individual nations with
comparative organization occurring including to Nigeria following the Chibok grabbing.
14 http://www.state.gov/secretary/20172018tillerson/
15 https://usembassy.state.gov/

Boko Haram has filled shakiness over the Lake Chad Basin. It has dislodged millions and put
them in danger of starvation, imperiled training and wellbeing administrations, slowed down
compassionate guide endeavors, and undercut government specialist in Nigeria and abroad.
Additionally, the revolt has frightened away worldwide speculators, especially in Nigeria, where
it adds to a rundown of dangers that incorporates other activist gatherings, which target oil
foundation in the Niger Delta, and partisan clash in the nation's Middle regions.16
Ongoing assaults and snatchings flag that, notwithstanding being pushed into remote regions,
Boko Haram will probably keep on upsetting the area's improvement for quite a while. "Boko
Haram speaks to an appalling mystery: its thoughts have constrained intrigue yet noteworthy
fortitude. The gathering can be squashed militarily, yet state savagery powers its account of
victimhood,
UNOCA's inclusion in the battle against Boko Haram depends on a few choices of the UN
Security Council. In a Statement (S/PRST/2015/12) on 15 June 2015 after the introduction of the
Report of the Secretary-General on the exercises of UNOCA, the President of the Security
Council mentioned UNOCA to keep on coordinating with UNOWAS so as to "support, as
suitable, the conditions of the Lake Chad Basin area to address the effect of the risk on harmony
and security, including the political, financial and philanthropic circumstance in the Sub-region".
The Security Council sounded the caution by reviewing that since 2009, Boko Haram assaults
have "caused expansive scale and crushing death toll and speak to a risk to the soundness and
tranquility of West and Central Africa".17 It likewise noted with worry that "the exercises of
16 https://careers.state.gov/
17 https://eforms.state.gov/

Boko Haram keep on having an unfriendly philanthropic effect on West and Central Africa
including the uprooting of an expected 74,000 Nigerians into neighboring Cameroon, 96,000
inside dislodged people inside Cameroon, and in Chad just about 20,000 Nigerian evacuees,
8,500 returnees and 14,500 inside uprooted people".
In such manner, the Statement by the President of the Security Council "urges accomplices to
build security help to Lake Chad Basin Commission nations and Benin, compassionate help over
the locale for those influenced by Boko Haram exercises".18 The Special Representative and
Head of UNOCA routinely dispatches requests in this regard to the worldwide network. The
Special Representative additionally does handle missions to fortify the United Nations' help to
influenced nations. A portion of the missions is together composed and embraced with
UNOWAS staff.
The Senior Military Adviser of UNOCA screens this issue with extraordinary consideration, in
contact with a Political Affairs Officer and other substantive areas.
Conclusion
Nigeria's battle against Boko Haram stays one of the area's deadliest conflicts despite a
noteworthy military hostile to contain the African Islamist activist gathering and backing from
worldwide accomplices. Another investigation of the contention offers a new point of view on
how deadly it has been, particularly for regular folks, and the example behind Boko Haram's
18 https://www.state.gov/j/ct/rls/crt/

assaults. Since 2009, the Boko Haram revolt has murdered many thousands and dislodged
millions, and savagery by aggressors and security powers proceeds with every day.19
The investigation demonstrates that however Boko Haram's regional control is currently
constrained to some little towns, a move in strategies has helped the gathering remain a danger to
millions. It has swung to suicide bombings, which represented very nearly 33% of all losses in
the primary portion of 2018, and has progressively assaulted Muslim spots of love. It keeps on
testing government specialist in Nigeria's upper east and past, and it allegedly gathers charges
and gives a few administrations in zones it controls.20
Fear-based oppression and Counterterrorism
Consequently, the Nigerian government holds a huge number of claimed Boko Haram
contenders, including ladies, kids, and old individuals. The United Nations' evacuee organization
gauges the contention has dislodged 2.4 million individuals and put in excess of seven million in
danger of starvation. It has likewise prompted the corruption of framework, including the end or
pulverization of the greater part of the area's schools, and the close total breakdown of an
officially feeble general wellbeing framework. While this examination gives knowledge into the
advancing strategies and focuses of the gathering, which is currently part into something like two
groups, it doesn't demonstrate the more extensive damages brought about by the contention, for
example, disturbed networks and hindered financial advancement.
19 https://www.state.gov/p/af/ci/ni/
20 https://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/subject/index.htm#c

Bibliography
Sources in the data bases
Bowie, Neil G., and Alex P. Schmid. Databases on terrorism. Routledge Handbooks Online, 2011.
Sullivan, Mark P. Latin America: terrorism issues. DIANE Publishing, 2011.
Niksch, Larry. North Korea: Terrorism List Removal?. DIANE Publishing, 2010.
LaFree, G., 2010. The Global Terrorism Database (GTD) Accomplishments and
Challenges. Perspectives on Terrorism, 4(1), pp.24-46.

Kis-Katos, Krisztina, Helge Liebert, and Günther G. Schulze. "On the origin of domestic and international
terrorism." European Journal of Political Economy 27 (2011): S17-S36.
Mullins, Sam. "Home-grown terrorism: Issues and implications." Perspectives on terrorism 1, no. 3 (2010).
Conlon, Sumali J., Alan S. Abrahams, and Lakisha L. Simmons. "Terrorism information extraction from
online reports." Journal of Computer Information Systems 55, no. 3 (2015): 20-28.
Dreher, Axel, Martin Gassebner, and Lars-H. Siemers. "Does terrorism threaten human rights? Evidence
from panel data." The Journal of Law and Economics 53, no. 1 (2010): 65-93.
Rollins, John, and Liana Sun Wyler. Terrorism and transnational crime: Foreign policy issues for
Congress. Vol. 1. Congressional Research Service, 2013.
Omelicheva, Mariya Y. "The ethnic dimension of religious extremism and terrorism in Central
Asia." International Political Science Review 31, no. 2 (2010): 167-186.
Jongman, Berto. "Internet Websites and Links for (Counter-) Terrorism Research." Perspectives on
Terrorism 5, no. 1 (2011).
US DEPARTMENT OF STATE: DIPLOMACY IN ACTION
SOURCES FROM Country Reports on Terrorism
http://www.state.gov/secretary/20172018tillerson/
https://usembassy.state.gov/
https://careers.state.gov/
https://eforms.state.gov/
https://www.state.gov/j/ct/rls/crt/

https://www.state.gov/p/af/ci/ni/
https://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/subject/index.htm#c