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Boko Haram pp 1–20Cite as

The Phenomenon of Boko Haram Terrorism in Nigeria

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Abstract

This paper provides the background and context for understanding terrorism and that of Nigeria in particular. It introduces a philosophical approach towards the conceptualization of terrorism so as to show the philosophical debates around the phenomenon and the significance thereof for the ‘root causes’ explanation, with a fairly focused attention to Boko Haram in Nigeria. The paper provides a road map to descriptive underpinnings of the general political economy of Nigeria and its tendency to fuel terrorism, and other forms of political violence. The objective of this chapter is to problematize the phenomenon of Boko Haram terrorism in Nigeria.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    The Marxist believed that capitalist society carries within itself the seeds of self-destruction (Gupta 1990, p. 31).

  2. 2.

    This view is inspired by Freudian psychology which situates violent behaviours in human instinctive, learnt and subconscious nature.

  3. 3.

    Structural factors are seen as “black holes” within which fanaticism can emerge.

  4. 4.

    It is instructive to acknowledge that though a distinction can be made between ethnic conflicts and terrorism, in the case of Boko Haram such distinction is strongly blurred considering the ethnocentric nature and dimension of its targets. Albeit northerners and Muslims have fallen victims, Boko Haram focuses more on the southerners and Christians. Hence, the use of Brown model originally designed for ethnic conflict is not a misapplication. Meanwhile, required variations are included in order to cater for the specific nature of the study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Politics and International Studies, Faculty of Arts, University of Zululand, Kwadlangezwa, South Africa

    Ojochenemi J. David & Lucky E. Asuelime

  2. Department of Politics and International Studies, University of Zululand, Kwadlangezwa, South Africa

    Hakeem Onapajo

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  1. Ojochenemi J. David
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  2. Lucky E. Asuelime
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  3. Hakeem Onapajo
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Correspondence to Ojochenemi J. David .

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David, O.J., Asuelime, L.E., Onapajo, H. (2015). The Phenomenon of Boko Haram Terrorism in Nigeria. In: Boko Haram. SpringerBriefs in Political Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-21230-2_1

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