BOKO HARAM AND ITS IMPLICATIONS ON NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF NIGERIA
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
Over the years, Nigeria has experienced series of attacks and blast in most region of the country.
The violent agitation by Militants in the Niger Delta region (MEND) has often led to loss of lives and properties otherwise known as “Movement for Emancipation of Niger Delta. So many spirited groups hide under this body to carry out their nefarious acts of rebellion govern the Nigerian state to express their governances over the degradations of the operation of the multinational organization.
Similarly, there are groups that exist in other parts of the country and they include; the “Odua People’s Congress (OPC) which is located in the South-West. They are often called the Afenifere group. There exists also the “Movement for the Actualization of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), in the South-East while the “Boko Haram” uses the Northern part of the country as their operational base.
This research study will critically scrutinize and evaluate the activities of the latter amongst the above mentioned political and or religious sects, because that is the thrust of this research.
It can be said that socio-political development are instrumental to the incessant crisis that has bedeviled our beloved country Nigeria today. People are said to be poor when they experience lack of sufficient income to purchase material needs which often excludes individuals from partaking in generally accepted activities of daily life in the society at large.
Boko Haram as the name implies, does not have one particular meaning. The name more or less connotes different meanings to different people. The group is a Nigerian Islamic group that seeks the imposition of Sharia Law throughout the w hole of Nigeria. Figuratively members of this group believe that “Western education is a sin”.
Presently, the group has an undefined structure and chain of command. It is of a paramount importance to note that the official name of the group is Jama‟ atu Ahlis Sunna, Lidda‟ await Wal-Jihad”, which means or rather is tantamount to “People committed to the propagation of the prophet’s teaching and Jihad”.
Since its formation in 2002 in Maiduguri by the leader of the group Mohammed Yusuf, the Boko Haram has been a thorn in the flesh of Nigeria’s security agencies, precisely the police force, over its opposition to western education that it believes is a sin. In the year 2004, the Islamic fundamentalist group relocated its base to Kanamma, Yobe State. The new location was named “Afghanistan”, and from there, the group set about attacking and leaving members of the Nigerian Police Lifeless.
