Boko Haram Terrorism in Nigeria:Causal Factors and Central Problematic

Abstract

Boko Haram, the Islamic radical sect from northeastern Nigeria, has been responsible since 2009 for a string of bomb attacks strategically directed at the Nigerian government, security officials, churches, civilians, and the U.N. headquarters in Abuja. With the attacks getting more sophisticated, coordinated and deadly with each year, there are growing concerns, nationally and internationally, about not only the fast deteriorating security situation in Nigeria but also the potential implications for Nigeria. Given the sect’s focus on the Nigerian government as well as other local targets, it appears that the grievances from which Boko Haram originates is highly localized and emblematic of the conditions of state failure in Nigeria. So conceived, this article explores the contextual factors that gave rise to the emergence and radical evolution of the Boko Haram sect. Informed by the state fragility and the Human Needs frameworks, the paper argues that Boko Haram terrorism is...