Description
ABSTRACTNigeria has experienced several ethno-religious, political, separatist and sectarian conflicts since its
independence in 1960. The most recent and deadly is the Boko Haram insurgency in north-eastern
Nigeria, which has claimed thousands of lives, cost billions worth of properties and devastating economic
and humanitarian crises. In response to this conflict, the Nigerian government resorted to a strictly
militaristic approach that has attracted widespread allegations of wanton human rights violations locally
and internationally. Extrajudicial killings, torture, unlawful arrest and detention of suspects, and sexual
abuses are the most common violations widely linked to the counterinsurgency operations in northeastern
Nigeria. The Boko Haram insurgency marked a turning point in Nigeria’s struggle against militant
groups, and the phenomenon is yet to be fully understood. The dynamic nature of the conflict poses an
even greater challenge to the government’s old-fashioned military response. Although a plethora of
anecdotal reports exist on human rights violations, most are based on secondary data from NGOs like
Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. Empirical research on the topic is scarce, ahistorical
and fixated on already-known issues.
Against this backdrop, this study examines the interplay between human rights and security and how the
demand for security and the need for human rights protection in armed conflict could be achieved.
Specifically, the research investigates the nature and extent of these alleged violations by the Nigerian
military and their impact on the civilian population within the context of International Relations and
Regime. Thus, using a case study design and a qualitative research methodology, primary data on the
encounters between the Nigerian military and civilians in the conflict was collected and evidence of these
violations was documented and analysed. The coercive counterterrorism approach is ineffective and
exacerbates and escalates the conflict. Thus, alternative human rights-compliant counterterrorism
approaches such as intelligence gathering, dialogue and community policing are identified. The
decolonisation of terrorism research from its current Westernised state to a more diverse, multi-
dimensional, and transnational field is also proposed to promote ideas advanced by African-based
scholars such as myself in dealing with terrorism in Africa, i.e., an African solution, by African scholars,
for Africa’s terrorism challenges.
Keywords: Counterterrorism, Human Rights, Security, Conflict, Northeastern, Boko Haram, Nigerian
Military
| Period | 6 Sept 2024 |
|---|---|
| Examinee | David Villah Dan-Azumi |
| Examination held at |
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| Degree of Recognition | National |