THE PERCEPTION OF BOKO-HARAM INSURGENCY IN SOUTH WESTERN NIGERIA: A CASE STUDY OF EKITI STATE.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title page…………………………………………………………………………………………………………… i

Approval page…………………………………………………………………………………………………… ii

Certification……………………………………………………………………………………………………… iii

Dedication………………………………………………………………………………………………………. iv

Acknowledgement…………………………………………………………………………………………… v

Table of Contents……………………………………………………………………………………………. vi

Abstract………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. ix

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER TWO: CONCEPTUAL ANALYSIS, THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK AND LITERATURE REVIEW

  1. Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………………… 7
    1. Boko Haram……………………………………………………………………………………………….. 10
    1. Perception……………………………………………………………………………………………………. 12
    1. Individual Perception of Boko Haram………………………………………………………….. 13
    1. Terrorism…………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 16
    1. Insurgency………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 18
    1. Ekiti State and Its people…………………………………………………………………………….. 21
    1. Theoretical framework………………………………………………………………………………….. 23
      1. The Human needs/Socio-Economic perspective……………………………………………….. 25
      1. The Islamic Theocratic State Theory………………………………………………………………….. 29

CHAPTER THREE: GENESIS, GROWTH AND THE NATURE OF BOKO-HARAM

CHAPTER FOUR: TAMING THE MONSTER: THE PERCEPTION OF EKITI PEOPLE ON BOKO-HARAM INSURGENCY AND TERRORIST ACTIVITIES

4.1      Data Analysis and Interpretation of Data……………………………………………………. 35

CHAPTER FIVE: CONCLUSION

APPENDIX I……………………………………………………………………… Sample of Questionnaire

APPENDIX II…………………………………………………. Sample of questionnaire for interview

BIBLIOGRAPHY……………………………………………………………………………………………. 55

ABSTRACT

Book Haram is a very controversial Nigeria militant group that seeks for the imposition of sharia law in the entire northern states of Nigeria. The hierarchical structure of the group is not presently well defined. The official name of the group is Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awatiwal-Jihad, which in Arabic translate to people „committed to the propagation of the prophet„s teaching and jihad‟. Literally therefore the group means Association of sunnis for the propagation of Islamic and for Holy war (jihad) and Islamized northern states of Nigeria and probably conquer the entire country through jihad. So far, the group has been waging the war successfully in areas of stronghold mostly in Yobe, Maiduguri, Kebbi,etc. Boko Haram made its presence known in 2004, in Yobe states, and by 2011, it made its presence known to the global community by bombing the United Nations Headquarters in Abuja. In the last two years, it has willfully attacked hundreds of buildings and killed many innocent Nigerians. In spite of the calamity that the group has caused the government and people of Nigeria, It looks as if government is confused as to how to clip the group„s wings. Indeed many are worried because of the state of insecurity that the infamous activities of the group have caused. While some are of the view that government is not doing enough, others are of the view that government effort are being sabotaged. In this research work, we examined the perception of the people of Ekiti State on Boko haram insurgency in Nigeria. Questionnaire with personal interviews were conducted. After the analysis of the responses, we discovered that many people are of the opinion that Boko haram activity is a style used by some powerful individuals in authority to take charge of the affairs of the country. Others feel it‟s not a religious crisis. Based on these, recommendations were made that specialist on crime affairs should train our soldiers in battling the insurgency. Also, it was recommended that individuals involved in this crime should not be covered by the federal government since it is obvious that they are known but are seen as the untouchable in the society.

Key words: Terrorism, Boko Haram, Perception, Insurgency. Word count: 359

CHAPTER ONE

                        BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

The South-Western Nigeria in which Ekiti state is a part of, has received the news about the mindless massacre going on in the Northern part of the country by the insurgent/terrorist group called Boko-haram. This awareness would no doubt have created certain perception of what the cause of the phenomenon, the sect called Boko-haram and the possible intuitive understanding and insight with regards to the means of curbing the mindless killing. Before now, it is a common knowledge that Nigeria since her return to civil rules in 1999 faces some national security challenges across the six geo-political zones in the country (Ojukwu, 2011). The spate of bomb blasts, kidnapping, pipeline vandalization and other forms of criminalities in recent times in various parts of the country are emerging trends of domestic terrorism (Slann, 1998). This view was also shared by Minister of Police Affairs, retired Navy Capt. Caleb Olubolade, when he acknowledged that the nation now faced new security threats that were quite different from what we used to know. “I will rather say that we are facing new threats different from what we used to face before.”But as these threats confront us, we will find solutions to them; it is now a period to look forward and overcome the challenges that face us”, (NAN, 2011). In fact, the high rate of kidnappings, armed robbery and political assassinations are added dimensions to the security challenges, which are stretching the nation to its limits, sometimes constitute a great threat to the very fabric of its existence (Onyema, 2010).

A number of analysts have variously attributed the disturbing trend to political dissatisfaction, ethnic and religious differences, perceived societal neglect and pervasive poverty among the people (Samson, 2013). According to Ojukwu, youth restiveness in the Niger Delta area and parts of the South East occasioned kidnapping and disruption of oil installations, activities of members of the Odua’a People‟s Congress (OPC) in the South West and that of Boko Haram saga in the northern states; have also been worrisome since 1999 (Ojukwu, 2011).

In considering the activities of various ethnic militias that have emerged in both southern and northern parts of the country, which have resulted in the mass trail of human and physical destructions was mind-bogging and reprehensible to the generality of the populace. The trend of domestic terrorism in the country especially with activities of the dreaded Islamic sect popularly known as Boko Haram has become a major concern for both the Nigerian

government and the international community (Dearn, 2011). Significant stakeholders in the country have offered suggestions on the need to check the new security challenges posed by the dreaded Islamic sect in particular in the country. While some suggested that a holistic approach be adopted, others called for collaboration with world leaders and international organizations as strategies to rid the country of terrorists (Ogbogbo, 2004). Some also suggested the need for dialogue with the sect.

Since the inception of President Goodluck Jonathan administration in Nigeria, security challenges has become an issue in discourse hence Boko Haram. Its philosophy stands for outright rejection of Western education, Western culture and modern science and advocates the propagation of strict adherence to Islam in its purest form. Boko Haram represents the vision and mission of a fundamentalist Islamic movement in Nigeria (Bagaji, 2012). The sect known as Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awatiwal-Jihad (people committed to the propagation of the prophet’s teachings and Jihad) seeks to Islamize Nigeria by whatever means at its disposal and at whatever human cost. So far the dastardly activities of this sect have been confined to churches, security operatives and public buildings in the Northern states and the Federal Capital Territory but now have shifted to schools especially in Brono, Yobe and Adamawa state of Northern Nigeria (Danjibo, 2009).

The atmosphere of insecurity currently pervading the nation is now worsened by the allegation of complicity among high-ranking security personnel, executive cabinet which president Good Luck Jonathan openly said BokoHaram have infiltrated his government(Bagaji, 2012). The spate of bombing now is targeted at primary schools, secondary schools and tertiary institutions respectively; killing and maiming students, teachers, lecturers as well as burning school building at will which forced majority of schools to close down in the North especially Borno, Yobe and Adamawa state respectively (Bumah, 2007).

The trend of insecurity in the country especially with activities of the dreaded Islamic sect popularly known as Boko Haram has become a major concern for every Nigerian. Significant stakeholders in the country have offered suggestions on the need to check the new security challenges posed by the dreaded Islamic sect in the country. While some suggested that amnesty be offered to the group; others called for collaboration with world leaders and international organizations as strategies to rid the country of Boko Haram terrorists. Some also suggested the need for strengthening of internal security to combat Boko Haram sect

(Adesoji, 2010). This study therefore gives a brief explanation about the terrorist sect called Boko Haram Insurgency and also the South Western understanding about Boko Haram Insurgency especially Ekiti State understanding the sect.

                        STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

The Islamic sect, Boko Haram has waged a relentless war of attrition on Nigeria since 2009. The sect has attacked mostly government‟s establishment, security operatives and places of worship, market and mass media (Mark, 2012). These assaults have accounted for countless death and injuries to Nigerian and destruction of property worth millions. Many have expressed concern that the attack if not decisively checked could spell grave danger to stability of the country, worsen security of lives and properties as well as freedom of speech (Adesoji, 2013).

The notion of a “war” on terrorists or countering insurgency has somewhat been over- exploited by the Nigerian state, thus reducing civil liberties as well as infringing upon fundamental human rights issues (Mark, 2012). Majority of Nigeria westerners are Christians and majority of Nigeria northerners are Muslims (Adigun, 2006). Again, one of Boko Haram sect‟s major aims is to make Nigeria a Muslim country (Onyema, 2010). According to Ayo oritsejafor, in the north, there have been high killing of Christians than Muslims and this as impacted fear in the south western state (Ortsejafor, 2011). Some South Westerners find it hard to interact with the Northerners due to fear , some even find it hard to talk about Boko Haram due to them been killed overnight (Agbiboa, 2009). It is thus unlikely that Boko Haram or any other international terrorism can be brought to an end by military means (Bagaji, 2012), although the existence of this terrorist group has not been felt on the Southern part of Nigeria (Bartolta, 2011).

In clear terms, the statement of problem runs thus: what is the Ekiti people‟s perception of Boko-haram insurgency and what implication has such feelings for national peace and unity, considering the diversity of the Nigerian society in terms of ethnicity and religion. In view of this, this work aims to study the people‟s feelings about the insurgency as such would serve as guide for policy makers and government hoping to curb the insurgency. In other words,  the work aims to know the perception of individuals in the south concerning Boko-haram insurgency in the south with focus on Ekiti State.

                        RESEARCH QUESTIONS

Following from the research problem, this study seeks to answer the following research questions:

  1. What factors necessitated Boko Haram‟s operation in Nigeria?
  2. What are the views of people in the South western Nigeria about Boko Haram insurgency?
  3. What implications do the perceptions have on national unity?
  4. How can Boko Haram operations be addressed in a country like Nigeria?

                        RESEARCH GOAL AND OBJECTIVES

The general objective of this study is to examine the perception of Ekiti South western part of Nigeria about Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria. The specific objectives include:

  1. To know the factors that necessitated Boko Haram‟s operation.
  2. To examine the perception of people in the South western Nigeria about Boko Haram insurgency.
  3. To determine the implications of such perception on national unity.
  4. To investigate the challenges of national integration caused by Boko Haram
  5. To suggest possible solution to the challenges of national integration caused by Boko Haram

     TEST OF HYPOTHESIS

  1. H0: Boko Haram Insurgency in some selected part of Nigeria if not taken care of will spread to all states in the country.

H1: Boko Haram Insurgency in some selected part of Nigeria if not taken care of will spread to all states in the country.

  • H0: There are no factors that necessitated Boko Haram.

H1: There are factors that necessitated Boko Haram.

  • H0: People‟s perceptions of Boko Haram have implications on national unity

H1: People‟s perceptions of Boko Haram do not have implication on national unity.

                        SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study is timely because it provides measures to tackle or avoid insurgency, which is still an on-going challenge for Nigeria as well as other countries of the world. Similarly, this long

essay presents facts about the perception and implication of insurgency. Drawing from this, it provides an opportunity for governments of all countries to invest heavily in human development and eradicate societal vices such as poverty, illiteracy or unemployment as measures to help avert insurgency and terrorism. Admittedly, the collective responsibility espoused is not just for the security of Nigerians but also for the wellbeing of all humans regardless of their respective country. So if various governments become very much aware that the prevalence of insurgencies and terrorisms in various parts of the world is heavily connected to governmental lapses or bad governance and work tirelessly to adopt some of the measures suggested in this work, the scourge arising from certain perceptions to and from insurgencies and terrorism would be immensely reduced if not curbed. In this order, this study provides insight with the realization that people‟s perception of insurgency can go a long way in tackling an insurgency, which is often done with brutality, only helps to institutionalize insurgencies and take it to the level of wider terrorism. The study also brings about a type of government formed by a group of parties‟ that bring about national unity to tackle Boko Haram insurgency and It will also be very relevant to students who will like to carry out more research on this work in order to have a wider knowledge on the topic.

                        SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The study is restricted to the perception of the South Western on Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria with particular reference to Ekiti State Nigeria. Due to time factor the researcher decides to focus on 3 local governments which include Ado-Ekiti, Ikare, Oye local Government in Ekiti State. Moreover the study will also be looking at people suggestions on the way Boko haram activities can be controlled.

     LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

Due to the poor method of storing data in Nigeria, the researcher was not able to lay hands on all data needed. Also, due to financial constraint, there was not enough capital to spend on transportation fact findings and borrowing of necessary literature that would have helped in the writing of this research work.

                        ORGANIZATION OF THE STUDY

This is a structured five chapter work, such that chapter one covers general introduction which consist of background information, Statement of problems, objectives of study, research question, research hypothesis, significance of study and scope of study and definition of terms, Chapter two covers the literature review and theoretical framework. Chapter three is for research methodology; chapter four is devoted to data analysis and presentation while Chapter five covers for summary of findings, discussion, conclusion and recommendation.

     DEFINITION OF TERMS

INSURGENCY: An insurgency is an armed rebellion against a constituted authority (for example, an authority recognized as such by the unit Nations) when those taking part in the rebellion are not recognized as belligerents. Marriam Webster dictionary defined insurgency as a usual violent attempt to take control of a government: a rebellion or uprising.

PERCEPTION: According to Bayton, perception is the organization, identification, and interpretation of information in order to represent and understand the ones opinion on a matter and is gotten from a latin word known as „percipio‟.

BOKO HARAM: is sect known as Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awatiwal-Jihad (people committed to the propagation of the prophet’s teachings and Jihad) seeks to Islamize Nigeria by whatever means at its disposal and at whatever human cost. So far the dastardly activities of this sect have been confined to churches, security operatives and public buildings in the Northern states and the Federal Capital Territory but now have shifted to schools especially in Brono, Yobe and Adamawa state of Northern Nigeria (Danjibo, 2009).

NATIONAL INTEGRATION: Is the awareness of a common identity amongst the citizens of a country. It means that though we belong to different castes, religions and regions and speaking different language we recognize the fact that we are all one. This kind of integration is very important in the building of a strong and prosperous nation (James, 2009)

CHAPTER TWO

CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK, LITERATURE REVIEW AND THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

                INTRODUCTION

The study is about the perception of Boko Haram Insurgency in the south western part of Nigeria. This chapter which is a view of some literature dealings with this issue of Boko Haram with detailed review to discuss Insurgency, Boko Haram, organization and political structure of Boko Haram, Perception, Ekiti state, Terrorism as well as theoretical framework

                BOKO HARAM

Boko Haram (“Western education is forbidden”), officially called Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’Awati Wal-Jihad (Arabic:                    , Jamā„at Ahl as-Sunnah lid-Da„wah wa‟l-Jihād, “Group of the People of Sunnah for Preaching and Jihad”), is an Islamist terrorist movement based in northeast Nigeria, also active in Chad, Niger and northern Cameroon. The group is led by Abubakar Shekau. Estimates of membership vary between a few hundred and 10,000. The group has been linked to al-Qaeda and in 2014 swore allegiance to Islamic State and adopted its emblem and terminologies (Bagaji, 2012).

Boko Haram killed more than 5,000 civilians between July 2009 and June 2014, including at least 2,000 in the first half of 2014, in attacks occurring mainly in northeast, north-central and central Nigeria. Corruption in the security services and human rights abuses committed by them has hampered efforts to counter the unrest. Since 2009 Boko Haram has abducted more than 500 men, women and children, including the kidnapping of 276 schoolgirls from Chibok in April 2014. 650,000 people had fled the conflict zone by August 2014, an increase of 200,000 since May; by the end of the year 1.5 million had fled (Jimoh, 2011).

After its founding in 2002, Boko Haram’s increasing radicalization led to a violent uprising in July 2009 in which its leader was executed. Its unexpected resurgence, following a mass prison break in September 2010, was accompanied by increasingly sophisticated attacks, initially against soft targets, and progressing in 2011 to include suicide bombings of police buildings and the United Nations office in Abuja. The government’s establishment of a state of emergency at the beginning of 2012, extended in the following year to cover the entire northeast of the country, resulted in a marked increase in both security force abuses and militant attacks. The Nigerian military proved ineffective in countering the insurgency,

hampered by an entrenched culture of official corruption. Since mid-2014, the militants have been in control of swathes of territory in and around their home state of Borno, estimated at 50,000 square kilometres (20,000 sq mi) in January 2015, but have not captured the capital of Borno state, Maiduguri, where the group was originally based (Bagaji, 2012).

Boko Haram is a controversial Nigerian militant Islamist group that seeks the imposition of Sharia law in the northern states of Nigeria. Boko Haram opposes not only Western education, but Western culture and modern science as well. The Islamic fundamentalist group, Boko Haram, has admitted of being responsible for the rise of Boko Haram, saying it started as a cell of the sect, officially called Jama‟atul Ahlus Sunna Lid Da‟awatis Jihad but named Boko Haram of the northern elite who, under the pretext of sponsoring youngsters to study in the Middle East, sent them to terrorist training camps. They thought they could manipulate Yusuf but he refused to tow the line, and in the end he was executed by the police, he explained. „If he were alive, he would have spilled the beans on them. Nonetheless, we will reveal their identities at our convenience,‟ said Teshako, who is also known as Yusufiyya after the slain leader. According to Yusuf, the clashes between Boko Haram and security forces two years ago were the result of police provocation. The police had shot dead two of its members and wounded 20 more after they followed mourners to the burial ceremony. The armed uprising that followed affected four northern states and claimed the lives of at least 300 people. „We are attacking police because they killed our brothers,‟ Ibrahim Khalil Zarkawi, a Boko Haram leader told Bashir Ibrahim Idris of RFI‟s Hausa service at the time (Adesoji, 2010). Troops stormed Boko Haram‟s stronghold in Maiduguri and Yusuf was arrested the following day after reportedly being found hiding in his parents- in-Iaw‟s house. Later, journalists were shown two films – one Jonathan during his inauguration in May, which was marred by a series of deadly bomb blasts apparently  showing Yusuf making a confession, the other showing what appeared to be his body, riddled with bullets.

The group was founded in 2002 in Maiduguri by Ustaz Mohammed Yusuf. In 2004 it moved to Kanamma, Yobe State, where it set up a base called “Afghanistan”, used to attack nearby police outposts, killing police officers. Yusuf is hostile to democracy and the secular education system, vowing that “this war that is yet to start would continue for long” if the political and educational system was not changed (Bagaji, 2010).

Boko Haram as attacked in the state of Yobe, fighters reportedly “used fuel-laden motorcycles” and “bows with poison arrows” to attack a police station. On 30 July, allegations were made that Yusuf himself was killed by Nigerian security forces after being taken into custody (Daily news, 2009). November 4, 2011, Major Boko Haram bomb blast killed Over 60 people in Damaturu, Yobe state Nigeria (punch news, 2011). January 2010, the group struck again in the Nigerian state of Borno, killing four people in Dala Alemderi ward in Maiduguri metropolis (Vanguard, 2010). September 7, 2010, Boko Haram freed over 700 inmates from a prison in Bauchi State (Daily news, 2010). December 2010, Boko Haram was blamed for a market bombing, following which 92 of its members were arrested by police (Vanguard, 2010). Friday January 28, 2011, a gubernatorial candidate was assassinated, along with his brother and four police officers. March 29, 2011, police “thwarted a plot to bomb an (ANPP) election rally” in Maiduguri, Borno State. The threat was blamed on Boko Haram. On April 1 (the day before the original date of Nigeria‟s legislative elections), suspected Boko Haram members attacked a police station in Bauchi . On April 9, a polling center in Maiduguri was bombed. On April 15, the Maiduguri office of the Independent National Electoral Commission was bombed, and several people were shot  in a separate incident on the same day. Authorities suspected Boko Haram. On April 20, Boko Haram killed a Muslim cleric and ambushed several police officers in Maiduguri. On April 22, Boko Haram freed 14 prisoners during a jailbreak in Yola, Adamawa State (Vanguard, 2011). Boko Haram was blamed for a series of bombings in northern Nigeria on May 29, 2011 that left 15 dead (Punch, 2011). June 17, 2011, the group claimed responsibility for a bombing attack on the police force headquarters in Abuja that occurred the previous day. Officials believed that the attack was the first suicide bombing in Nigeria‟s history and that it specifically targeted Police Inspector-General Hafiz Ringim (Daily Trust, 2011). The 2015 Baga massacre was a series of mass killings carried out by the Salafi jihadist group Boko Haram in the Nigerian town of Baga and its environs, in the state of Borno, between 3 January and 7 January 2015. The attack began on 3 January when Boko Haram overran a military base that was the headquarters of the Multinational Joint Task Force containing troops from Chad, Niger, and Nigeria. The militants then forced thousands of locals from the region and committed mass killings that culminated on the 7th Jan, 2015.Baga and at least 16 other towns are thought to have been destroyed as over 35,000 people are reported to have been displaced, with many feared to have drowned while trying to cross Lake Chad and others trapped on islands in the lake. The attacks are said to have resulted in Boko Haram extending its control to over 70% of Borno State, while its leader, Abubakar

Shekau, claimed responsibility for the massacre in a video statement, saying that they “were not much” and that the group’s insurgency “would not stop”(march 10th, 2015). March 5, 2015, in the main market in Nigeria‟s Northeastern city, sucide bombing killing over twenty nine people (Vanguard, 2015).

Boko Haram killed more than 13,000 civilians between 2009 and 2015, including around 10,000 in 2014, in attacks occurring mainly in northeast, north-central and central Nigeria. Upwards of 1.5 million people have been displaced in the violence, Corruption in the security services and human rights abuses committed by them have hampered efforts to counter the unrest. Since 2009 Boko Haram has abducted more than 500 men, women and children, including the kidnapping of 276 schoolgirls from Chibok in April 2014. 650,000 people had fled the conflict zone by August 2014, an increase of 200,000 since May; by the end of the year 1.5 million had fled. After joint military operation with Nigerian Armed Forces, Chadian Armed Forces, Cameroonian Armed Forces, local vigilante groups, local hunters and local fishermen, Boko Haram lost its capital Gwoza and most of its occupied territories while it is still controlling southern parts of Borno State.

The group, at least before 2009 had no clear organizational or political structure and consequently little or nothing was known of its command and control system. However, by 2011 and 2012 it became somewhat clear that members of Boko Haram are organised in complex cell structures from where they operate both locally and internationally. These cells which are about 26 are headed by regional commanders who in turn take commands from Abubakar Shekau, their current number one leader, a situation which makes it difficult for the Nigerian security forces to fish out and dismantle the group. The group also has a sophisticated leadership structure comprising departments headed by highly trained personnel whereupon designated assignments are effectively executed. Such departments also include bomb manufacturing, suicide bombers, intelligence, research, welfare/healthcare and other logistics needed for proper execution of their goals. It has also been said that the highest decision making body of Boko Haram is called the “Shura Council”.

                PERCEPTION

Perception (from the latin perceptio, percipio) is the organization, identification, and interpretation of sensory information in order to represent and understand the environment. Perception is not the passive receipt of these signals, but is shaped by learning, memory, expectation, and attention (Michener, 2004). Like most concepts within the social science

disciplines, perception (or what other scholars refer to as social perception) has been defined in a variety of ways since its first usage. From the lay man‟s perspective, perception is defined as an act of being aware of “one‟s environment through physical sensation, which denotes an individual‟s ability to understand” (Chambers Dictionary). However, many social psychologists have tended to develop the concept around one of its most essential characteristics that the world around us is not psychologically uniform to all individuals. This is the fact, in all probability, that accounts for the differences in the opinion and actions of individuals/groups that are exposed to the same social phenomenon. According to Nelson and Quick (1997) “perception is the process of interpreting information about another person”. What this definition has clearly highlighted for your attention is that the opinions you form about another person depends on the amount of information you have acquired. In other words, you may be in possession of the same set of information that other people have on a particular situation, person or group but still arrive at different conclusions due to individual‟s difference in the capacity to interpret the information that you all have. Rao and Narayan(1998) obviously share the main characteristics of the above definition. However, they emphasis that perception ranks among the “important cognitive factors of human behavior or psychological mechanism that enable people to understand their environment”. In their own words, “perception is the process whereby people people select, organize, and interpret sensory stimulations into meaningful information about their work environment”. They argue that perception is the single most important determinant of human behavior, stating further that “there can be no behavior without perception”. Though focusing on managers in work setting, Rao and Narayan draw attention to the fact that since there are no specific strategies for understanding the perception of others, everyone appears to be “left with his own inventiveness, innovative ability, sensitiveness and introspective skills to deal with perception”. Perception also refers to constructing and understanding of the social world from the date we get through our sense (Myers, 2004). Though necessarily based on incomplete and unverified (or unreliable) information, perception is equated with reality for most practical purposes and guides human behavior in general (Business dictionary).

Perception is closely related to attributes. Attribution is explaining a person‟s behavior as being based in some source, from his/her personality to the situation in which he/she is acting. Perception is the process by which organisms interpret and organize sensation to produce a meaningful experience of the world (Lindsay & Norman). In order words, a person is confronted with a situation or stimuli (Freud, 1996). The person interprets the stimuli into

something meaningful to him or she based on prior experiment. However, what an individual interprets or perceives may be substantially different from reality (Daley, 1996). Social Perception is how an individual “sees” others and how others perceive an individual, it is the study of how people form impressions of and make learn about others feelings and emotions by picking up on information we gather from their physical appearance, and verbal and nonverbal communication (Assael, 1995). This is accomplished through various means such as classifying an individual based on a single characteristics (halo effect), evaluating a person‟s characteristics by comparison to others (contrast effect), perceiving others in ways that really reflect a perceivers own attitudes and beliefs (projection), judging someone on the basis of one‟s perception of the group to which that person belongs (stereotyping), causing a person to act erroneously basedon another person‟s perception (Pygmalion effect), or controlling another person‟s perception of oneself (impression management) (Allport, 1987).

                INDIVIDUAL PERCEPTION ON BOKO HARAM INSURGENCY

The problem of chronic youth unemployment is very evident in Nigeria which basically might be a cause of Boko haram insurgency in the nation. Every year thousands of graduate are turn out for where there are no jobs. Nigerians street are littered with youth hawkers who ordinarily would have found gainful employment in some enterprises, or would have demonstrated their skill and resourcefulness if there is enabling environment structure on ground. Instead, the youth have now shifted their attention to terrorism. (Adepego, 2011).

Unemployment describes the conditions of people who are without jobs. The international labour organization (ILO) defines the unemployment as number of the economically active population who are without work but available for and seeking for work, (Adebayo, 1999). Government at all level should strive to creates viable structure which will encourage the youth to think rationally towards job creation rather than job pilferage and almost unending unemployment proliferation in vogue in Nigeria. In Northern part of Nigeria unemployment has caused a lots of displacement of properties and lots of lives in the northern part of Nigeria, killings in the north by the Boko Haram insurgence is been motivated by unemployment in the north. Over 900 people have been killed by Boko Haram. But the question is what has the government at all level and the security industry done to curb the ordeal? Federal government should adopt a more reliable means and unbiased regulatory frameworks to police the affair of the Nigerian populace. This well continues to encourage the principle of one indivisible state as enshrined in our National Anthem. Inspite of the threat Boko Haram terrorism possess to Nigerian peace, security and stability, this sect

terrorism had certain positive results in contemporary national relations. It is demonstrated in the area of improvement on the national security opinion in Nigeria especially on national critical infrastructure either installation of close circuit television CCTV to cover the federal capital city with the control room expected to be located at the force headquarters for central coordination (Vanguard, 3rd September, 2011) training and retraining of security operation of modern equipment, having identify database of Nigerians, reactivation of the police forensics department and bring it up to date etc. which are headway to ensuring national security of the country. According to the former National Security Adviser, General Owoye Andrew Azazi told Reuters Officers that secret services were looking at broadening efforts beyond pure security measure, including addressing northern economic grievances, marking thegreat coalition or co-operation of one Nigeria (Vanguard, 3rd December, 2011).

     TERRORISM

The term „terrorism‟ was coined from terror derived from a Latin verb „terrere‟ that means „to frighten‟. Alao (2011) cited Campell (2001) and observes that terror cimbricus was a panic and state of emergency in Rome in response to the approach of warriors of the Cimri tribe in 105 BC. In modern time it has been adopted to mean a wide range of deployment of force largely targeted at civilian population by disgruntled elements within the society to direct the attention of government to their plight or to force a change of government. The difficulty associated with evolving an acceptable definition of terrorism leads Hoffman (1998) to observe that if one identifies with the victim of the violence, for example, then the act is terrorism. If, however, one identifies with the perpetrator, the violent act is regarded in a more sympathetic, if not positive (or, at the worst, ambivalent) light; and it is not terrorism. Regardless of the problem associated with the definition, certain attributes of terrorism manifest in bombings, assassinations, armed assaults, kidnappings, hostage situations and hijackings. The study agrees with Cunningham (2003) that a wide variety of actors from individuals (Carlos Illych Ramirez -the Jackal; the Unabomber) to groups (Tamil Tigers, Provisional IRA, Hamas, Boko Haram) to institutions and finally to governments and states (the Taliban,) practice what we define as terrorism. The involvement of America in Vietnam, Iraq, Pakistan, Libya and Egypt among others was seen as terrorist act by Ogunsola (2011).This goes further to justify that the definition is a function of individual perception. Hence, terrorism is not limited to non-state actors. It explains why there is no unified perspective of what terrorism is and led Sick in Kegley, (1990) to note that „one man‟s terrorist is another man‟s freedom fighter‟. The fact that state and non-state actors engage in

acts of terrorism inform the position of Falk in Kegley,(1990) that: “It is futile and hypocritical self-deception to suppose that we can use the word terrorism to establish a double standard pertaining to the use of political violence. Terrorism, then, is used here to designate any type of political violence that lacks an adequate moral and legal justification, regardless of whether the actor is a revolutionary group or a government”. It is therefore essential to note that the modus operandi of the Boko-Haram slightly differ from what is traditionally known of terrorists in line with the five characteristics identified by Cunningham (2003). First, the victims of terrorist attacks are usually civilians and not combatants. Terrorists do not usually target armed police or soldiers who have the capability to fight back. Recent attacks by the sect revealed that they attacked Police Headquarters at Abuja in 2011 and other security formations. For instance, on June 27, 2012 a police station was attacked at Gulak in Adamawa State as reported by the News Agency of Nigeria. Also, following the shooting and killing of twenty Deeper Life worshippers at Okene on August 6, 2012, a distress call was received by the Joint Task force from the same location the next day. On getting close to the destination, the terrorist shot and killed two soldiers. Second, the perpetrators are not recognized combatants. They do not carry arms openly nor do they wear recognizable uniforms or insignia prior to or during attacks. The Boko-Haram of recent engages the military in direct shoot out and prolonged battle as witnessed in Kano and Maiduguri. The Boko-Haram attacked a police station in Nigeria‟s northern state of Bauchi on 26 July 2009. The incident led to a four-day armed struggle between State Security forces and members of the militant group, spreading to three other states (Yobe, Kano and Borno) and leaving as many as 800 dead(Bumah, 2002). This type of confrontation is not characteristic of terrorist group. Like other terrorists, they do not recognize the rules and laws of war as their acts were in violations of the Geneva Convention for the Protection of Civilians in Time of War (1949). Also, terrorist acts are by nature symbolic and not instrumental as the act itself may not be sufficient to bring about the desired change. The immediate victims of attacks were not necessarily the intended targets. For example, though the sect attacked churches and the UN building, the intended target was the wider audience. The reaction of the wider audience to the state of insecurity, fear and terror, are required by them to influence governments and citizenry in order to achieve their goals. Extant literature however notes that terrorism is motivated by larger political causes and the acts are symbolically carried out in order to further that cause. However, Schulze (2009) notes that Boko-Haram is ideologically isolated and lacks popular support from the population and Muslim leaders. Though this is contentious, she buttressed her position with the

condemnation of the movement by Islamic bodies like the Nigerian umbrella body of Muslims, Jama‟atul Nasril Islam (JNI) that categorically dissociated Islam from the activities of Boko-Haram. Such a conclusion needs be approached with caution, while it is difficult to belief that Christians will be sponsoring the bombing of fellow believers, this study argues that highly placed and wealthy individuals not yet identified due to security lapses might be bankrolling the sect and provide channels for easy passage of ammunitions and explosives.