Nigeria and Boko Haram: The Threat of Islamists

What is Boko Haram? Nigeria's militant Islamist group Boko Haram - which has caused havoc in Africa's most populous country through a wave of bombings, assassinations and now abductions - is fighting to overthrow the government and create an Islamic state. Its followers are said to be influenced by the Koranic phrase which says: "Anyone who is not governed by what Allah has revealed is among the transgressors". Boko Haram promotes a version of Islam which makes it "haram", or forbidden, for Muslims to take part in any political or social activity associated with Western society. This includes voting in elections, wearing shirts and trousers or receiving a secular education. Boko Haram regards the Nigerian state as being run by non-believers, even when the country had a Muslim president. The group's official name is Jama'atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda'awati wal-Jihad, which in Arabic means "People Committed to the Propagation of the Prophet's Teachings and Jihad".

Boko Haram translates as “Western education is sin”. Seeks the imposition of a strict Sharia Law system through out Nigeria. Currently nine northern states follow Sharia Law, with an additional three implementing it. Seeks the abolishment of Western-style education. They have been condemned by the Muslim Council of Great Britain.

What is Boko Haram? Boko Haram at a glance Founded in 2002 Official Arabic name, Jama'atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda'awati wal-Jihad, means "People Committed to the Propagation of the Prophet's Teachings and Jihad" Initially focused on opposing Western education - gaining the nickname Boko Haram, which means "Western education is forbidden" in the Hausa language Launched military operations in 2009 to create Islamic state Founding leader Mohammed Yusuf (pictured above) killed in 2009 same year in police custody, succeeded by Abubakar Shekau Thousands killed, mostly in north-eastern Nigeria - also attacked police and UN headquarters in capital, Abuja Some three million people affected Declared terrorist group by US in 2013

The Islamic Fundamentalist group Boko Haram has been responsible for Church bombings, executions, and tortures throughout Northern Nigeria. Boko Haram advocates creating a Nigerian theocracy and separate state in the North Top left: Boko Haram militantsTop right: victims of a recent Boko Haram bombing

Origins of Boko Haram

Origins Religious insecurities Being a Muslim in Nigeria used to bring power, prestige Political insecurities Politicized religious and ethnic identity Conspiracy theories driven by fear and reinforced by a heavy-handed security response to protests Economic insecurities Socio-economic isolation Maiduguri, Borno state

Origins of Boko Haram Religion splits Nigeria in half: The North is Muslim while the South is Christian Bombings of churches and mosques occur frequently and tensions are highest during elections and near the middle belt Islamic fundamentalism and radicalism has manifested itself in the North with the appearance of the political group Boko Haram

Origins: Historical Backdrop to Boko Haram President Babangida’s foreign policy and Nigeria’s OIC membership Adoption of Sharia by 9 Northern states (plus partial adoption by 3) since 1999, posing a serious challenge to constitutional separation of state and religion December rise of Maitatsine in the Northern commercial city of Kano – 5000 lives lost in uprising Leader – Alhaji Mohammadu Marwa Maitatsine Maitatsine considered as a rebel among mainstream Muslim clerics Used adulterated version of the Koran, with his name in place of that of Prophet Mohammed Preached against use of modern technologies such as motorcycles, automobiles, bicycles, radio, television, wristwatch, etc. Killed in the Kano violence of 1980; his followers continued to spread his radical message among the urban poor across the northern region; 1985 last major Maitatsine uprising

History of Boko Haram Sokoto Caliphate, Usman dan Fodio Hausa-Fulani, Kanuri Maitisine riots “Nigerian Taliban” Mohammed Yusuf Salafist prayer and self-isolation Promote Islam and Sharia law, Ibn Taymiyya Refusal to obey traffic laws seen as refusal of authority provokes heavy handed response... Yusuf publicly executed in the street

Origins and Rise of Boko Haram Boko Haram (Western education is evil) surfaced as “Nigerian Taliban” during Obasanjo’s era Founding leader Mohammed Yusuf, a high school drop out who studied the Koran in Niger and Chad and came back with radical religious views; Yusuf established a sect in 2001 under the name Yusufiyya in Maiduguri Yusuf coopted into Boko Haram between 2001 and 2009 when the sect sparked a bloody uprising in Maiduguri; the 2009 crisis earned the group the name Boko Haram which reflects its anti-Western ideology Following the 2009 religious uprising Yusuf was killed while in police custody Mallam Abubakar Shekau current spiritual leader of Boko Haram Blind commitment to violent fundamentalism and the islamization project

Goals and Doctrine of Boko Haram

Objectives Impose Sharia Law Establish Caliphate Wage war

Boko Haram: Mission Jihadist conquest to ensure Northern political dominance through islamization of Nigeria Jihad translates to war against Western cultural influence – Western democracy, Western education and Christianity, modern governmental institutions and other symbols of Western influence Islamic fundamentalism as mobilizational tool The Almajiri System – abused and manipulated for narrow political ends 75 percent northern population poor; 60 percent live on less than 1 US dollar a day; 32 percent literacy rate in the north (68 % national rate)

Leadership of Boko Haram

You Tube Clip Boko Haram: Who is Abubakar Shekau? - BBC News BBC News Published on Jun 27, 2014 Running time of 2:34 What do we know about the leader of Boko Haram? Abubakar Shekau has inspired his group of fighters to kill hundreds of people in Nigeria, where Yalda Hakim spoke to people who knew him.

Leader: Abubakar Shekau

Abubakar Shekau is the leader of the Nigerian militant Islamist group Boko Haram, which been behind a deadly insurgency in the north-east of the country for the last five years. Nigeria analyst Abdullahi Tasiu Abubakar looks at the country's most-wanted man, who has been designated a terrorist by the US government. Boko Haram's leader is said to be a fearless loner, a complex, paradoxical man - part-theologian, part-gangster. Since he took over, Boko Haram has become more radical and carried out more killings.

Leader: Abubakar Shekau Shekau speaks classical Arabic and Hausa, the language of northern Nigerian Muslims, and had a religious education. As deputy to former Boko Haram leader Mohamed Yusuf, who was killed in 2009, Shekau delivered sermons littered with references to Islamic scholars. He also expressed admiration for al Qaeda as a jihadist movement, although Boko Haram is not an affiliate of the group. Shekau's rejection of the Christian calendar and of allegiance to the Nigerian flag resonates in a region where resentment of a corrupt and distant government runs deep. And his frequent reference to the great Bornu Empire -- a Muslim kingdom that ruled northern Nigeria for some 500 years -- harks back to a golden age.

Leader: Abubakar Shekau Perhaps the most shocking revelation about him was the video clip of him laughing as he admitted the abduction of more than 200 schoolgirls in April 2014, promising to sell them. "I abducted your girls," he said. "I will sell them in the market, by Allah. I will sell them off and marry them off." Fondly called imam or leader by his followers, Abubakar Muhammad Shekau was born in Shekau village in Nigeria's north-eastern state of Yobe. Some say he is in his late 30s, others believe he is in his mid-40s - the uncertainty adds to the myths surrounding him. The US government has offered a reward of up to $7m (£4.6m) for information about his location.to $7m (£4.6m) for information about his location

Leader: Shekau 'Aping of Osama Bin Laden' Shekau is fluent in his native Kanuri language, as well as Hausa and Arabic. He now also adds English sentences in the tapes his group releases to journalists. When Muhammad Yusuf was killed, Shekau is said to have married one of his four wives and adopted their children - perhaps, say sources who do not want to be named, to preserve Boko Haram's cohesion or "purity". The group has a highly decentralised structure - the unifying force appears to be ideology, though many believe that they are now more interested in vengeance than in ideology. Shekau does not communicate directly with the group's foot soldiers - he is said to wield his power through a few select cell leaders, but even then contact is minimal. "A lot of those calling themselves leaders in the group do not even have contact with him," Mr Salkida says. Shekau has neither the charismatic streak nor the oratorical skills of his predecessor - but he has an intense ideological commitment and ruthlessness, say people who study the group. "He is the leader of the more militant wing of the group as testified by his aping of Osama Bin Laden in his video appearances," says Abubakar Mu'azu from the University of Maiduguri.

Leader: Shekau Shekau issued a chilling message in one of those appearances - which provides a major insight into what his leadership of the group will bring. "I enjoy killing anyone that God commands me to kill - the way I enjoy killing chickens and rams," he said in the video clip released just after Boko Haram had carried out one of its deadliest attacks, in January 2012, killing more than 180 people in Kano, northern Nigeria's largest city.

Leader: Shekau Shekau is also the group's spiritual leader - and, judging by video footage, he seems equally comfortable delivering sermons to his followers. "He has a photographic memory and is well-versed in theology.” His followers nickname him "Darul Tawheed", which translates as a specialist in Tawheed. This is an orthodox doctrine of the uniqueness and oneness of Allah, which is the very cornerstone of Islam. But Nigeria's mainstream Muslim clerics do not regard Shekau as a scholar and question his understanding of Islam. They regularly condemn the bombings and drive-by shootings committed by his followers against anyone who disagrees with them.

Membership of Boko Haram

Operates as a Network Network is believed to be expanded outside of Nigeria border Believe to have different cells located in countries surrounding Nigeria New technology and money sources “State within the state”

Membership Most members drawn from Islamic clerics and students, professionals, students of tertiary institutions in Borno and Yobe states (key Sharia states) School drop-outs enrolled in Madrassa or Koranic schools Northern politicians who represent “opportunistic face of Islam” Dubious members of the state security agencies who help the group with training

Membership It draws its fighters mainly from the Kanuri ethnic group, which is the largest in the three states. Most Kanuris have distinctive facial scars and when added to their heavy Hausa accents, they are easily identifiable to others Nigerians.

Foreign Support of Boko Haram

Foreign support for BH Ties with al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and Somalia’s al- Shabaab Foreign terrorist groups provide funds, training and weapons to BH militants West African countries such as Cameroun, Benin, Niger, Mauritania, and Chad provide sanctuary for BH militants

Weapons

Sources of Deadly Weapons Smuggling Robbery Looting of armories or sales from servicemen Influx of illegal alien arms through Nigeria’s porous borders Illegal arms transfer enabled by poor surveillance and intelligence gathering of Nigeria’s security agencies

Current Strategy Provoke sectarian violence Provoke heavy handed government response Mobilize Nigerian Muslims to revolt Media strategy Suicide bombings Links with al Qaida? Factions

Targets of Boko Haram Violence

Targets of recent BH violence State security agencies – the police and army Churches/Christians Schools Open markets The media – particularly newspapers Prominent government officials and private citizens Moderate Muslims United Nations Government informants

BH far more brutal than other groups BH resources – machete, AK-47, bombs, motorcycles, cars, suicide bombers, cell phones, internet, websites, media releases through the internet and newspapers Far more violent than other groups, better organized and equipped and probably more motivated than government security operatives Very effective at using force or threat of force to instill fear

Boko Haram Attacks The deployment of troops has driven many of them out of Maiduguri, their main urban base and they have now retreated to the vast Sambisa forest, along the border with Cameroon. From there, the group's fighters have launched mass attacks on villages, looting, killing and burning properties in what appeared to be a warning to rural people not to collaborate with the security forces, as residents of Maiduguri had done. Boko Haram has also stepped up its campaign against Western education, which it believes corrupts the moral values of Muslims, especially girls, by attacking two boarding schools - in Yobe in March and in Chibok in April. It abducted more than 200 schoolgirls during the Chibok raid, saying it would treat them as slaves and marry them off - a reference to an ancient Islamic belief that women captured in conflict are part of the "war booty". It made a similar threat in May 2013, when it released a video, saying it had taken women and children - including teenage girls - hostage in response to the arrest of its members' wives and children. There was later a prison swap, with both sides releasing the women and children.

Boko Haram Attacks They are in the news because they have abducted more than 200 schoolgirls during the Chibok raid, saying it would treat them as slaves and marry them off - a reference to an ancient cultural belief that women captured in conflict are part of the "war booty".

Boko Haram Attacks At the same time, Boko Haram has continued with its urban bombing campaign, targeting the capital on 14 April 2014, when at least 70 people were killed in an explosion near a car park and on 2 May when 19 people died. This shows that not only does Boko Haram have a fighting force of thousands of men, but also cells that specialise in bombings.

You Tube Clip Boko Haram leader: 'I abducted your girls' Published on May 5, 2014 Running time of 2:59 CNN's Vladimir Duthiers reports on the shocking kidnapping of girls in Nigeria. Boko Haram now claims responsibility.

Boko Haram Attacks Attacks by the Boko Haram group that provoked the military actions of the Nigeria government included: an assault on a military barracks, detonating a bomb at a bus station in the northern city of Kano and the kidnap of a French family, including four children, which grabbed the world's attention.

Worse Attack Yet: January 2015 The Nigerian terrorist group Boko Haram launched its worst attack ever in the northeastern town of Baga, where it killed hundreds or possibly more. The motivation is unclear, but it appears aimed at intimidating Nigerians into not voting in the coming presidential election. Key context is the military's indifference to northern Nigerian lives. Its troops fled almost immediately, and had itself previously massacred Baga's residents. No one knows for sure how many people the Nigerian terrorist group Boko Haram slaughtered during its six-day rampage in the northeastern town of Baga. A lone and speculative early report said 2,000 dead, though subsequent counts suggest " dozens " or " hundreds."dozenshundreds But there is little question this is a massacre of breathtaking and possibly unprecedented severity, even for Boko Haram.

Worse Attack Yet: January 2015 Here is what appears to have happened: On Saturday, January 3, Boko Haram fighters in pickup trucks drove up to a military outpost in Baga.military outpost in Baga The Nigerian troops immediately began fleeing; Boko Haram captured the outpost by noon. In the next few days, the group raided surrounding villages, killing civilians. On Wednesday, it overran Baga itself, beginning a days-long process of methodically razing buildings and killing everyone the group saw. "When they neutralized the soldiers, they proceeded to Baga and started killing everyone on sight," a witness told the New York Times.New York Times "There was no pity in their eyes. Even old men and children were killed.". As Boko Haram slaughtered Baga's residents, its fighters visited several nearby villages. They shot villagers, apparently at random, and commanded the survivors not to vote, the Wall Street Journal reports.Wall Street Journal Boko Haram condemns democracy itself as religiously forbidden; on Thursday, its leader had released a video ranting against democracy in all its forms, and it has long stated that voting is a crime. Nigeria is in the middle of a presidential campaign and is gearing up for a presidential election on February 14. The country is roughly split between Muslims and Christians; ironically, Boko Haram's anti-democracy attacks could swing the election in favor of incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan, a Christian, by suppressing turnout among mostly Muslim northern Nigerians who would likely vote against him.

Worst Attack Yet: January 2015 About 10,000 people have fled to neighboring Chad this week, with reports of many drowning in an attempt to cross Lake Chad.Chaddrowning in an attempt to cross Baga has been largely abandoned after what is now described as what may be the “deadliest massacre” in the history of Boko Haram.“deadliest massacre” in the history “After taking the goods, they put fire, and burn this place,” Alhaji Baba Abahassan, the Baga District head, told The New York Times. “Even now, if they see a man, they will kill you. They killed many people, but nobody has the exact number. If I say this is the exact number of killed, I am telling lies.”told The New York Times

How Has The Nigerian Government Responded to Boko Haram

You Tube Terror Tears Through Nigeria: Hunting Boko Haram (Part 1) | FRONTLINE Published on Sep 9, 2014 Running time of 12:30 Subscribe on YouTube: FRONTLINE travels to Nigeria to investigate Boko Haram, the Islamist militant group that kidnapped hundreds of schoolgirls in April, 2014 sparking international outrage and worldwide pressure to #BringBackOurGirls. In Nigeria, we uncover evidence that security forces - including local militias - are committing atrocities, including mass arrests, severe beatings and even executions, against Boko Haram suspects, many of whom are actually innocent civilians.

Dangers of Boko Haram to Nigerian Government The threat will disappear only if Nigeria's government manages to reduce the region's chronic poverty and builds an education system which gains the support of local Muslims, the analysts say.

The Government’s “Stick and Carrot” Strategy Stick Strategy – use armed police and soldiers to crack down on B.H. terrorist cells; death of BH leader Mohammed Yusuf and hundreds of militants Carrot strategy – propose dialogue, possibility amnesty in exchange for peace (like Niger Delta militants) B.H. response so far negative Government under domestic and international pressure to not give in to terrorists

Government Response Contd. Ongoing move by the Obama administration to place B.H. on list of international terrorist organizations Is Nigeria’s objection to the terrorist label indicative of its reservations over US approach to the war on terror? The Jonathan administration dialogued with Niger Delta militants and offered them amnesty in exchange for peace

Failings of Nigerian Military Like the larger story of Boko Haram itself, the story of the Baga massacre is a story of Boko Haram's depravity but also of the Nigerian military's abject failure. It is not just that the Nigerian troops stationed in Baga fled almost immediately on Boko Haram's arrival. The military has itself played a role in Baga's terror. In April 2013, a handful of Boko Haram fighters ambushed some Nigerian troops near Baga.ambushed In response, the military stormed Baga, burning down thousands of homes and killing 200 people.killing 200 people This is wholly consistent with the Nigerian military's conduct in its so-called fight against Boko Haram in northern Nigeria, where the group operates. The heavy-handed military — which, recall, ruled as dictators not so long ago — has been accused time and again of atrocities in its campaign against Boko Haram. They are typically accused of targeting civilians, but sometimes, they kill out of appears to be simple incompetence. In March 2014, for example, some very brave northern Nigerians alerted the military that Boko Haram was operating near their village. The military did nothing for several days, then bombed the village, killing the very people who'd tried to help, by which time Boko Haram had left. None of this created Boko Haram, but it helps provide an environment where the group is able to operate more widely and freely than it otherwise could. The military's utter failures, and at times active efforts to commit atrocities, are a crucial component of the Boko Haram story, nationally and in Baga.

Effects and Impact of Threat of Boko Haram

Implications of BH Militancy for West Africa Possible spill-over into neighboring countries, especially those with recent history of conflicts (Chad, Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Liberia) The “mimic syndrome” generated by conflicts elsewhere Recent call for regional cooperation against terrorism, raising question about possible role for ECOMOG, AFRICOM, other multilateral security systems Regional scenarios pose a serious dilemma for the Goodluck administration which has displayed inconsistency in its approach to BH insurgency

Armed militants in the oil-rich Niger Delta region – who negotiated peace with the Jonathan administration – currently mimicked by Boko Haram militants

Implications of BH Militancy for Nigeria Renewed concerns about credibility of constitutional separation of state and religion and secular status of the Nigerian state Renewed concerns about constitutional protection of cardinal citizenship rights – choice of religious affiliation; place of residence; profession; life style, etc. Above concerns raised at recently concluded meeting of Nigeria’s ethnic nationalities BH militancy has prompted renewed calls for Sovereign National Conference (SNC) by political activists and civil society groups across the country Recent gathering of Nigeria’s ethnic nationalities