Rethinking Nigerian Government Response to the Boko Haram Insurgency in North East Nigeria - a podcast by ALC Pan-African Radio

Since 2009, violent attacks by the militant group Jama’atu Ahlussunnah Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (commonly known as Boko Haram) has not only disrupted socio-economic and political activities in North East Nigeria but has led to forced displacement, the death and abduction of thousands of people and destruction of livelihoods.
This caused a large scale humanitarian crisis in the North East region of Nigeria. Out of the 13 million people living in the states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa, 7 million are in dire need of humanitarian assistance. Among them, close to 2 million are internally displaced while close to 1 million are living in areas that are hard to reach by the humanitarian agencies because of insecurity.
What the communities in North East Nigeria are demanding is eradication of Boko Haram and an effective response to the humanitarian crisis.
After President Muhammadu Buhari assumed power in May 2015, the Nigerian military response recorded some success against the insurgents. For example, most of the territory in North East Nigeria previously under the control of Boko Haram was recaptured by the Nigeria military. Also, the government has succeeded in negotiating the release of some of the kidnapped Dapchi and Chibok girls. This led the government to declare that it had ‘technically won the war’ against the insurgents because Boko Haram could no longer mount ‘conventional attacks’ against government establishment, security forces or civilian population.
However, recent activities in the North East indicate that Boko Haram is still active and is proof that the military approach alone cannot tackle the Boko Haram insurgency.
While hard-power tactics may have immediate success, it cannot establish strategic long term and sustainable solutions. To achieve sustainable peace, I strongly believe that government and relevant stakeholders should adopt a broad national response that will build effective partnership between the government, the security forces and communities in North East Nigeria. Currently, there is a disconnect and lack of trust between people in North East and the government. Also, current approach by the government fails to recognise the role of relevant stakeholders in the society such as community leaders who play a prominent role in building peace without occupying any formal position. Also, factors that led to the emergence of Boko Haram in the first place need to be addressed.
Indeed, President Muhammadu Buhari is under intense pressure to act decisively in order to end the insurgency. Some call for the sacking of the current heads of the security forces. I believe, government should rethink its current military strategies of fighting the insurgency and develop a concerted effort that will address the root causes of the problem.

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