The Amnesty Program In Nigeria

Ikechi Mgbeoji’s book, Collective Insecurity examines the hidden causes of West Africa’s civil wars and addresses an important question: “Why has the U.N. system not worked to protect people and to enhance their welfare, as intended, in Africa and elsewhere?” In his book, Mgbeoji proposes, “the solution to African political instability lies in a structural rearrangement of the African polity for the purpose of legitimate governance of African peoples.”

The Boko Haram sect in Nigeria has been a huge problem for the country in the past, and the threat is only growing. This group is considered responsible for a handful of government attacks, targets on the United Nations, and often churches who undermine the Islamic religion. Their actions have spawned from the idea that their country is controlled by “fake Muslims”, and aim to create an Islamic nation ruled with Sharia law.

Boko Haram are motivated by a Jihadist version of Islam and is believed to be believers of the one true interpretation of the (Brinkel & Ait-Hida, 2012, p. 16). Their ultimate goal to create a true Islamic state in Nigeria directly associated with Sharia law. (Chothia, 2015, p. 5). The group has maintained their secrecy and the authorities have yet to be captured by law enforcement. Boko Haram is seen to have many basic views including their religious motivations, political downfall, and their extreme actions taken on the people of Nigeria. Boko

In the aftermath of the September 11 attacks, the United States, including its allies, waged brutal campaigns directed at the Al Qaeda leadership and, the Taliban in the Middle East. America’s fight against terrorism nonetheless consumed billions of dollars since the 9/11 attacks. Earlier, countries such as England, Spain, Italy, and Russia, similarly waged wars against the Provisional Irish Republican Army, Euskadi Ta Askatasuna, the Red Brigades and the Chechnya separatists. In most of these cases, research shed light on the mechanisms that led to the demise or the defeat of these terrorist groups. However, when it comes to similar groups located in the southern hemispheric countries such as Nigeria, the mechanisms leading to the group

Sub-Saharan Africa is facing a time where the future can be filled with boundless economic growth or engrossed with greater terrorism and instability. Now is the time for the United States to step up as a global leader to ensure global security while creating constancy in Sub-Saharan Africa by limiting the power and control of terrorism groups.

Since their rise in 2014, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has gained significant control of cities and territories within the middle east. This control has expanded to outside of their original region, with affiliate groups like Boko Haram gaining traction in Nigeria and Abu Sayyaf vying for territories in the Philippines (1). Beyond gaining territories the influence of ISIS is global and its efforts to implement its agenda are not limited to guerrilla warfare. Since it’s rise to power many sponsored terrorist attacks have occurred by the group, or for the sake of the group. Therefore, ISIS cannot be called solely terrorist or guerrilla in nature, rather, a mixture of both. This essay will illustrate

As more terrorist and crime groups such as Al-Qaeda, the Movement for Unity and Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO), and Boko Haram, rise in the West African

"Buhari Sacks Nigeria's Military Chiefs as Fight against Boko Haram Is Stepped up." The Guardian. 13 July 2015. Web. 14 July 2015.

The militant group’s funding comes from a variety of organized crime and donations, cyber scams, fake charities, kidnapping, bank robbery, and theft from Nigeria’s security establishment. The group has received financial support from al Qaeda and other African governments. Central to Boko Haram’s approach includes using hard-to-track human couriers to move cash, relying on local funding sources, such as local governments, and engaging in only limited financial relationships with other extremist groups.1 They recruit as many Islamic extremist groups recruit, by radicalizing boys and young men who have failed at something or seek a higher purpose in life. The group’s recruitment methods have changed in recent years; more recruits are forcibly

Growing up in Nigeria, I was aware of the insecurity rampant in the nation. Reports of kidnappings, gun violence, ritualistic killings, and of late, terrorist attacks are frequent. Though I heard the stories and even knew some people that had personal experience, I viewed them as distant from myself and my family. I never thought such an event would happen to me. It turns out that I was living with a false sense of security. Such experiences change people and I am not an exception. The year 2012 and the events it had in store for me altered my world view and my reality.

Similar to the past few years, the atrocious kidnapping of 276 on the 14th of April, of boarding school girls from the village of Chibok in the north-eastern part of Nigeria falls into an arrangement of shocking terror unbridled by Boko Haram. Nigeria has always been at the heart of security threatening challenges, but Boko Haram is the most powerful group as of yet. Boko Haram has claimed responsibility for many bombings and other terrorist activities north and central Nigeria, thus placing Nigeria on the verge of dissolution. Till date, terror caused by Boko Hara has resulted in an estimate of about 10,000 deaths. Boko Haram, officially called Jama’tu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’Awati Wal-Jihad, is a Sunni extremist terrorist group based in northeast Nigeria and active in Chad, Niger and Cameroon. Purpose of Boko Haram is to get rid of the current political regime in Nigeria, which the group believes is run by corrupt Muslims. They group wishes to “establish a fundamentalist interpretation of Sharia (Islamic law) across all of Nigeria (Start).” Furthermore, the group wishes to rid Nigeria of any western education and institutions, specifically schools for girls. Seven to ten thousand members of Boko Haram are led by Abubakr Shekau. Initially, the group had links to Al-Qaeda, but pledged allegiance in March 2015. Since the end of the British rule, politicians and Islamic ulama have expressed their disapproval with western education. Since then, political and ethno-religious groups

The West African country of Mali has from time to time been mired in un-ending overlapping humanitarian, political, economic, and security crises. Notably, the situation in the country became worse when the government was destabilized and later overthrown in a 2012 military coup. Following the coup, insurgents were quick to capitalize on the resulting power vacuum and seize a greater portion of this country’s vast sparsely populated north. As of 2013, a number of loosely connected extremist groups including Al Qaeda were in full control of most towns in the northern region. It is estimated that the region that has from time to time fallen under their control is as large as Texas. In as much as the number of insurgent combatants (mainly Islamic) seems to be relatively small, they are now notorious, and have become more entrenched. The seriousness of their entrenchment is boosted by the fact that they have gone as far as ousting a separatist group of ethnic Tuaregs that had initially been very influential, even in recruiting members among locals. Meanwhile, the nominally civilian-dominated government (based in the capital Bamako) formed in the post-coup period continues to be weakened gradually by continuous internal wrangles and military interference. In addition, years of mega corruption and mismanagement seem to have stagnated progress in many state

274). This alliance has encouraged Boko Haram to make gaining territory its primary object in order to establish its own “Islamic Caliphate” in West Africa. By forming an alliance with ISIS, Boko Haram has transformed from a shoddy radical Islamic group to a serious international threat, capable of undermining security in West Africa.

The State of Nigeria has experienced a growing number of militants across the county. Over the past three years, there has been an increasing threat posed by growing numbers of homegrown terrorists that have managed to become a serious problem to the nation. In recent times, several terror attacks have been mounted in major towns and cities spread across the country. The major religious terrorist group, Boko Haram, has caused chaos in these areas causing substantial damage in the regions over which they have gained control. Boko Haram militants have taken over a majority of the regions in the north and declared their own version of Islamic law. In the delta region sitting directly off the coast of Guinea, armed militant groups have waged war against the government due to economic grievances. These events have come to shape the policies, ideologies, and future of the Nigeria as the country rolls into the reality of the threat posted at their own doorstep.

AN ASSIGNMENT WRITTEN IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE COURSE DVS 512: TECHNOLOGY, ENERGY, NATURAL RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT