Halting the Boko Haram Insurgency in Nigeria: Emerging Success Story and New Threats

Abstract

The Nigerian government has, at various times, promised the domestic and international publics that the menace of insurgency inthe country will soon be a thing of the past. The country has been the scene of widespread violence, criminality and outright insurgency, such as Boko Haram in the North East. It is a truism that the country's internal security has been significantly undermined by violent activities of armed non-state actors and the Boko Haram insurgency has, no doubt, re-shaped and redefined the classification of Nigeria in many peoples' minds all over the world. It has, in the last six years, remained a serious threat to the Nigerian State. This essay interrogates the counter-insurgency operation of the Nigerian security forces in response to this threat. It also examines the emerging strategies and political will of the government in combating the insurgency particularly within the context of a new political leadership in the country. It discusses the nature of new threats being posed by other groups as the war against the Islamic sect begins to record some success.