Boko Haram Insurgency and the Widening of Cleavages in Nigeria

Abstract

The Boko Haram terrorist group's philosophy and activities have been subjected to different interpretations among the Nigerian populace. Such interpretations follow traditional lines of ethnic, regional, cultural, and religious cleavages in Nigeria. Some perceive it as war by Muslims against Christians, some as a sponsored conspiracy against the Muslim North, and others interpret it as the Northern war against the emergence of President Jonathan from the south-south geopolitical zone. A few regard it as a generic name for criminal gangs in Northern Nigeria. While overwhelming opinions in the south tilt toward a scorched-earth policy to counter Boko Haram, much of the north favors dialogue. One of the implications of these responses is the widening of already existing cleavages in Nigerian society, thereby further undermining efforts at building unity and coexistence among Nigeria's varying nationalities.

Election and Democratic Consolidation in Nigeria : An Analysis of the 2015 General Elections

“…Apart from the security situation in the North East part of the country, the others reason that advance the postponement was the allegations, counter-allegations on PVCs distributed, it was reported that PVCs had been distributed 80 per cent and above in some Northern states' cities, including those of Boko Haram insurgency torn Northeast, despite huge numbers of displaced persons, while allocation and collection in Southern states' cities, including high-density commercial nerve-centre of Lagos, ranked mostly between 35 and 50 per cent ( Olaniyan & Asuelime, 2015).…”

“…The key challenge was that the election was held on the backdrop of the violent insurgency by Boko Haram, a militant group which is particularly affecting the north-eastern part of the country (Olaniyan & Asuelime, 2015). Given the politicisation and manipulation of the upheaval to assume an ethno-regional and religious character, as well as the unprecedented fractionalisation of some elites along these fault lines of identity, the election was seen as the referendum on the survival of the country.…”

Killing People, Dividing a Nation? Analyzing Student Perceptions of the Boko Haram Crisis in Nigeria

“…In other words, they are more likely to perceive Boko Haram as a "planned Islamic jihad against Christians in Nigeria." 90 Muslim people (frequently but not exclusively belonging to the Hausa-Fulani group and born in the north), on the other hand, tend to argue more often that unemployment and poverty have caused the uprising. Moreover, they are also the only ones who sometimes indicate that a sense of injustice and the neglect of the northern regions could be a possible cause.…”

“…Perceptions on the insurgency across Nigeria's disparate nationalities reveal the centrality of "ethno-religious thinking." This has been defined by Olaniyan and Asuelime 93 as "Nigerians' reading of ethnic and religious meanings into most actions in the country"; and Nigerian students clearly read the Boko Haram crisis through such ethno-religious glasses. Public opinion-at least the one held by Nigerian students-is polarized over Boko Haram's agenda, consequences, and solutions; and these polarized perceptions reflect long-standing grievances.…”

“…7 Notwithstanding these valuable insights on the origins of and solutions for the Boko Haram crisis, little is known about public perceptions about these explanations and ongoing military approaches, and about the extent to which public perceptions diverge or converge across ethnic and religious cleavages. Although both Olaniyan and Asuelime 8 and Onapajo and Usman 9 have suggested that Boko Haram widens Nigeria's ethno-religious cleavages, there is still no large-scale empirical study that shows whether and how Boko Haram has contributed to polarization in Nigerian society. As a first step to addressing this gap, this article analyzes the opinions of Nigerian students from different ethnic and religious backgrounds on the causes, consequences, and solutions to the insurgency.…”