ABSTRACT
The
research provides an appraisal of the
war against terrorism with a focus on Nigerian diplomatic dimension against book haram insurgency . The effect of
the boko haram insurgency has in recent
times constituted a serious threat to the security of lives and property of
Nigerians in the north east .As a result many lives and properties have been
lost ,while others are being held
hostage.However the Nigerian government through its various military and
security forces had declared a total war to
Eliminate
the boko haram insurgency in Nigeria.The research appraises the diplomatic
initiative instituted to realize the mission.
CHAPTER
ONE
1.1.
INTRODUCTION
The
Boko Haram insurgency began in 2009, when the jihadist rebel group Boko Haram
started an armed rebellion against the government of Nigeria. In 2013, more
than 1,000 died in the conflict. The violence escalated dramatically in 2014,
with 10,849 deaths. The insurgency has since spread to Cameroon, Chad, and
Niger thus becoming a major regional conflictBoko Haram conducted its
operations more or less peacefully during the first seven years of its
existence. That changed in 2009 when the Nigerian government launched an
investigation into the group's activities following reports that its members
were arming themselves.Prior to that the government reportedly repeatedly
ignored warnings about the increasingly militant character of the organisation,
including that of a military officer.When the government came into action,
several members of the group were arrested in
sparking deadly clashes with Nigerian security forces which led to the
deaths of an estimated 700 people. During the fighting with the security forces
Boko Haram fighters reportedly "used fuel-laden motorcycles" and
"bows with poison arrows" to attack a police station.The group's
founder and then leader Mohammed Yusuf was also killed during this time while
still in police custody.After Yusuf's killing, AbubakarShekau became the leader
and still holds the position as of January 2015 .After the killing of M. Yusuf,
the group carried out its first terrorist attack in Borno in January 2010. It
resulted in the killing of four people. Since then, the violence has only
escalated in terms of both frequency and intensity. In September 2010, a Bauchi
prison break freed more than 700 Boko Haram militants, replenishing their
force.On 29 May 2011, a few hours after Goodluck Jonathan was sworn in as
president, several bombings purportedly by BokoHaram killed 15 and injured 55.
On 16 June, Boko Haram claimed to have conducted the Abuja police headquarters
bombing, the first known suicide attack in Nigeria. Two months later the United
Nations building in Abuja was bombed, signifying the first time that Boko Haram
attacked an international organisation. In December, it carried out attacks in
Damaturu killing over a hundred people, subsequently clashing with security
forces in December, resulting in at least 68 deaths. Two days later on
Christmas Day, Boko Haram attacked several Christian churches with bomb blasts
and shootings.In January 2012, AbubakarShekau, a former deputy to Yusuf,
appeared in a video posted on YouTube. According to Reuters, Shekau took
control of the group after Yusuf's death in 2009. Authorities had previously
believed that Shekau died during the violence in 2009. By early 2012, the group
was responsible for over 900 deaths .On 15 April 2014, terrorists abducted
about 276 female students from a college in Chibok in Borno state. The
abduction was widely attributed to Boko Haram. It was reported that the group
had taken the girls to neighbouring Cameroon and Chad where they were to be
sold into marriages at a price below a Dollar. The abduction of another eight
girls was also reported later. These kidnappings raised public protests, with
some protesters holding placards bearing the Twitter tag #bringbackourgirls
which had caught international attention. Several countries pledged support to
the Nigerian government and to help their military with intelligence gathering
on the whereabouts of the girls and the operational camps of Boko Haram.
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
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In May 2013, Nigerian governmental forces launched an offensive in the Borno
region in an attempt to dislodge Boko Haram fighters after a state of emergency
was called on 14 May. The state of emergency, which is still in force as of May
2014, applies to the states of Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa in northeastern
Nigeria. Starting in late January 2015, a coalition of military forces from
Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon, and Niger began a counter-insurgency campaign against
Boko Haram. On 4 February, the Chad Army
killed over 200 Boko Haram militants. Soon afterwards, Boko Haram launched an
attack on the Cameroonian town of Fotokol, killing 81 civilians, 13 Chadian
soldiers and 6 Cameroonian soldiers. In February 17, 2015, the Nigerian
military retook Monguno in a coordinated air and ground assault.On 7 March
2015, Boko Haram's leader AbubakarShekau pledged allegiance to the Islamic
State of Iraq and the Levant via an audio message posted on the organisation's
Twitter account. Nigerian army spokesperson Sami UsmanKukasheka said the pledge
was a sign of weakness and that Shekau was like a "drowning man".
That same day, five suicide bomb blasts left 54 dead and 143 wounded. On 12 March
2015, ISIL's spokesman Abu Mohammad al-Adnani released an audiotape in which he
welcomed the pledge of allegiance, and described it as an expansion of the
group's caliphate to West Africa.On 24 March 2015, residents of Damasak,
Nigeria said that Boko Haram had taken more than 400 women and children from
the town as they fled from coalition forces. On March 27, the Nigerian army
captured Gwoza, which was believed to be the location of Boko Haram
headquarters. On election day, 28 March 2015, Boko Haram extremists killed 41
people, including a legislator, to discourage hundreds from voting.In March
2015, Boko Haram lost control of the Northern Nigerian towns of Bama and Gwoza
(believed to be their headquarters) to the Nigerian army. The Nigerian authorities
said that they had taken back 11 of the 14 districts previously controlled by
Boko Haram. In April, four Boko Haram camps in the sambisaforest were overrun by the Nigerian military who
freed nearly 300 females. Boko Haram forces were believed to have retreated to
the mandara mountains along the Nigeria-Cameroon border. On 16 March, the
Nigerian army said that it had recaptured Bama. On 27 March 2015, the day
before the Nigerian presidential election, the Nigerian Army announced that it
had recaptured the town of Gwoza from BokoHaram.By April 2015, the Nigerian
military was reported to have retaken most of the areas previously controlled
by Boko Haram in North-Eastern Nigeria except for the SambisaForest.In May
2015, the Nigerian military announced that they had released about 700 women
from camps in SambisaForest.The Nigerian government has equally seek the
support of the United State of Americas
in this direction and with joint US/ Nigeria military action hope rises
for the elimination of Boko haram insurgency in Nigeria.
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
The
threat to lives and property posed by terrorism in Nigeria had escalated in
recent times leading to the death of thousands of Nigerians, loss of
property,while many are being held hostage.Consequently the Nigerian government
through its military and security forces declared a total war
The
problem confronting this research is to appraise the war on terrorism ;nigerias
diplomatic initiative against the Boko Haram insurgency.
1.3 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
1 What is terrorism
What
is the nature of the boko haram insurgency in Nigeria
What
is the effect of the boko haram insurgency
What
is the nature of the war against the boko haram insurgency in Nigeria
What
is the nature of nigerias diplomatic initiative against the boko haram
insurgency
1.4 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
1 TO appraise the nature of terrorism in
Nigeria
2
To determine the nature of the bokoharam
insurgency in Nigeria
3
To determine the effect of boko haram insurgency
4
To appraise the war against the boko haram insurgency
To
determine nigerias diplomatic initiative against the boko haram insurgency.
1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The
study intends to determine, the nature, causes, effect of the boko haram
insurgency
As
well as project the war and achievement of the Nigerian government through
diplomatic initiative and its military and security forces against the boko
haram insurgency
1.6 STATEMENT OF HYPOTHESIS
1 Ho
The level of terrorism is low in
Nigeria
Hi
The level of terrorism is high in Nigeria
2 Ho
The effect of boko haram insurgency in Nigeria is low
Hi
The effect of boko haram insurgency in Nigeria is high
3 Ho
The effect of the war and nigerias diplomatic dimensions
against boko haram insurgencyis low
Hi
The effect of the war and nigerias diplomatic dimensions against boko
haram insurgency is high
1.7 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
The study focuses on the war on terrorism
an appraisal of nigerias diplomatic initiative against the boko haram
insurgency .
1.8 DEFINITION OF TERMS
TERRORISM
DEFINED
A
Clan- distant/secretive under cleared and unconventional warfare wedge carried
out without Humanitarian consideration.
BOKO
HARAM
The
Boko Haram insurgency began in 2009,]
when the jihadistrebel groupBoko
Haram started an armed rebellion against the government
of Nigeria. In 2013, more than 1,000 died in the conflict. The violence
escalated dramatically in 2014, with 10,849 deaths. The insurgency has since spread to Cameroon,
Chad,
and Niger
thus becoming a major regional conflictSS