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G
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N
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B
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C
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TWE
LVE
(12)YR
S(2002
-2014)

CONTENT
-Acknowledgement.
-Introduction.
1.

ORIGIN OF BOKO HARAM-

2. ORIGINal LEADERS OF THE

SECT3. WHY THEY SURVIVED AND
THRIVED4. THE
MISSING
LINK
IN
SECURITY5. FACTORS
AIDING
THEIR
GROWTH6. SUGGESGGTIONS
ON
CRUSHING THE INSURGENCY7. MANAGING THE TRAUMA OF
DEDVASTATION,
ABDUCTION
AND RE-CONSTUCTION IN THE
AFFECTED STATES8. ENVIRONMENTal EFFECT OF
THE INSURGENCY IN THE AREA
AFFECTED-

9.
GOVERNMENT
INTERVENTION IN ENACTING
AND IMPLEMENTING PEOPLES
FRIENDLY LAWS TO GUiDE
AGAINST
EXTREMISM
AND
TERRORISM10. PROCESSING OF CAPTURED
AND
SURRENDERING
SECT
MEMBERS OF BOKO HARAM11. LEVELS
OF
CONFLICT
SITUATION THAT LEADS TO
WAR-

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The idea for this case study
firstly is to debunk the insinuation
that Boko Haram members are
ghost and faceless as they seem to
be ab-initia, unfolding events, after
series of clashes and casualties
recorded on the side of the
insurgents revealed the weakness
in
our
intelligence
gathering
procedure and management of
intelligence.
The various loop-holes taken
advantage of by the insurgents
which robbed the military of initial
successful
operations
at
the
beginning of the operation includes
among
others
inadequate
preparation and plan on the side of
the military, use of sub-standard

weaponry, shallow knowledge of

guerilla warfare considering the
terrain, strength and locations
where the insurgents choose as
their operational basis.
The sect had initial upper hand
due to proper knowledge of the
environment and possession of
higher and sophisticated fire power
and the share advantage of moles
planted among the military and in
government, informants, saboteurs
and conspirators evident in the
various
failures
and
losses
witnessed during the various
attacks
and
counter-attack
between
the
insurgents
and
government troops.
The various clandestine attacks
in the guerilla tact displayed at

various
attacks
on
targeted
military bases, Police outposts,
Barracks,
formations
of
Immigration, Customs and other
places of interest to the group are
evidence of attacks during unsuspected hour taking advantage
of informations on when and
where to attack.
We must acknowledge the fact
that the group were looking for
popularity in the first instance,
they
were
also
looking
for
sympathizers
through
their
message of propaganda, and it
partly worked for them.
The military have also learnt
some few things, especially the
crop of young officers and men
that were not privileged to

participate
in
peace
keeping
missions, the civil war of 1966-67,
and other military operations, it
was a testing ground.
The Nation has also come to
term with the need to equip its
intelligence agencies and the
military with modern sophisticated
weapons to meet modern day
warfare.
INTRODU
CTION
Boko-Haram is a Hausa Arabic
interpretation for the statement
Education
especially
Western
Education is an Abomination or
western education is forbidden
from this interpretation we can see
how evil it is to be given such an

orientation as a doctrine, principle

or way of life.
What as a political analyst,
researcher,
conflict
analyst,
negotiator or interfaith conflict
resolution expert arrived at in the
course of my study is that the sect
members hijacked the tool of
religion and the ignorance of their
followers to operate in the heart of
their
foot
soldiers
taking
advantage of the poor economic
situation, failed leadership to
deliver on their terms for good
governance,
abuses, corruption
and visible exploitation of the
people by those they elected into
public offices and privileged office
holders.

I acknowledge the privilege of

being a patriotic Nigerian, who also
through service to the Nation at
various times knows the terrain
and environment where the BokoHaram operates from as their
stronghold from a professional
point of view as once a border
corp officer on the field.
Adamawa, Borno and Yobe
states are not the only locations
where Boko Haram has their
enclaves, but the three states
mentioned was a more comfortable
zone for their clandestine activities
taking cognizance of the terrain,
topology, vegetation and closeness
to the border of Niger, Chad and
Cameroon.

Much
appreciations
and
acknowledgement to our security
operatives and the Army and Air
force
for
every
effort
and
engagement to subdue the already
fully grown monster, it is a
learning process for our nation to
avoid looking and understanding
crises situations, sectarian conflicts
and any form of breakdown of law
and order as a mere issue that will
soon fizzle away.
The Nation paid dearly for their
erroneous assumption and underestimation since 2001 to date, with
huge resources that would have
been used to benefit the citizenry
in building public infrastructures,
facilities
in
health,
power,

education and other sectors of the

economy.
Many cases of abduction, loss of
life, damages and destruction to
lives and properties of the people
would have been avoided, if it was
checked-out early especially at
inception,
as
a
nation,
the
experience is not a good one
compared to the civil war, we are
hopeful to come out strong but not
the same in the areas most
affected.
CHA
PTER
ONE
ORIGI
N
OF

BOKO
HARAM
Official and un-official records
have it that the activities of the
sect
started
as
a
religious
evolution that started in Borno in
1995, it later became an alliance of
Al-Shabbab, it extended to Geidam
in
Yobe
State
where
they
established schools.
The sect found a base around
Machina Dapchi around Geidam
zone in Yobe, it metamorphosed
and started operating the Taliban
tactics of attack with their first
attack in Damaturu of Police
stations, schools and other vital
infrastructures
of
government,
they succeeded in evacuating

cache of arms and ammunitions

and police accessories.
However, the return to civilian
governance and agitation for
sharia in Borno under the civilian
dispensation of the then civilian
governor (Malla Kachalla) gave
room to the re-emergence and
building of the MARKAS at the
railway quarters in Maiduguri,
Borno state which later became
their operational base, from where
they mobilize and sensitize their
members for recruitment into the
group.
The first set of the original Boko
Haram came as advocates of
Sharia tenets and propagandist of
an alien doctrine that was frowned
at by famous, well versed Islamic

clerics, who the sect viewed as

antagonists, betrayers, the likes of
Sheikh Jaafar, Sheikh Gummi,
Sheikh Saleh and host of others
including the like of Sheikh Dahiru
Bauchi.
The sect leaders were invited for a
muamala a religious conference
of understanding by the learned
clerics and Mohammed Yusuf and
host
of the sects commanders
then attended in Kano , but the
meeting was unfruitful as there
was disagreement on the ground
of differences of ideology and the
older generations of mallams
forseeing the likely out come of
the
movement
they
asked
Mohammed
Yusuf
to
rethink(courtesy of sheikh Jaafar

Tafsir in Kano)that exposed the

antics of the sect and why the
sects were not comfortable with
the older generation of mallams
who they viewed as having
compromised their faith.(Jaafar
was killed by the sect) afterward.
Mohammed
Yusuf
and
his
commanders
left
unsatisfied
because sheikh Jaafar asked the
sect to point out the bases for
their ideology or indoctrination
from the Holy Quran, which
Mohammed Yusuf was not able to
defend rather he insisted on
making references to the jihad
and sharia as a stand point.
Mohammed Yusuf left with the
believe that the older mallams
were not in support and should

devise a self-support means

of
propagating what they believe in
even though contrary to the tenets
and Islamic believe, this led to the
formation of the opposition groups,
street and open challenges of
government through preaching
inciting sermons and confrontation
with authorities, which led to his
initial arrest, interrogation and
subsequent release. the sect who
initially
believed
they
were
untouchables could not believe
that
their
leader
could
be
arrested ,hence the attacks in
2002 which did not go down well
with the government of chief
olusegun obasanjo who was the
president then, and senator Ali
Modu Sheriff who they also viewed

as a beneficiary of government
largesse and certain demands put
across to him which were not met
as a support to the group, even
though some of the sect members
had infiltrated his administration
with a commissioner, who is a
dedicated member of the sect and
had been supportive financially and
otherwise.
The internecine conflict in the
neighboring states of Chad, Niger
and Cameron provided a fertile
basis for the spread of the sect
activities. it is a known fact that in
Niger for instance the Tuareg
were
agitating
for
self
determination, in the Cameroon
shuwa kotoko conflict since the

toppling of tumbabaye
the state
of Cameroon has not known peace.
Libyan and Sudan conflicts has
a lot of negative influence on the
sect and provided them access to
illegal arms across the border, the
use of arms banditry was the basis
for guerrilla fighters evolution in
the Nigerian Soil with periodic
attacks such as the sacking of a
whole village that became refugees
in Gamboru Ngala in 1994, these
serves as a level ground for the
insurgents and the clandestine
operation of some of the sect
members that were recruited into
the BOKO-HARAM group.
According
to
a
document
circulated by Jamaatu AhlisSunnah Liddaawati wal Jihad a

propagandist arm of Boko Haram

doctrination written in Hausa
language, all it portend is a
disguise under the cover ofJihad
Holy war but we all know of a truth
that the sect were extremists, antigovernment
group,
operating
under the guise of religion which
became evident in the shallow
display of knowledge of Quran by
Shekau in his various utterances
in recorded videos.
CHAPTER TWO
ORIGINAL LEADERS OF THE
SECT
This group knows fundamentally
the sensitive nature of religion and
therefore uses it as a platform for
their
existence
and
created

impression that they were fighting

a Just Course.
The document mentioned in
chapter 1 exposed the motives of
the sect, their mission as divisive,
aggressive,
destructive,
clandestine forces working against
good governance and peaceful coexistence of the Nation and its
unity.
The likes of Mohammed Yusuf,
Abubakar Shekau, Abu Ziad, Abu
Qhaqha and host of others were
the frontline leaders that emerged
as fore-runners for the sect, apart
from foot soldiers like Kabiru
Sokoto,
Bama
etc,
the
revolutionary pattern of the sects
operations and guerilla tactics
points to foreign influence as they

operate the same tactics with AlQaeda, Al-Shabbab and ISIS of

Iraq etc.
The Libyan and Sudan conflict
influenced and gave way to illegal
crossing of arms across the border
of Niger, Chad and Cameroon that
aided the illegal activities of
insurgents
in
Nigeria,
the
mountainous areas of Gwoza,
Madagalli in Borno and Adamawa
was a fertile ground for the
training, the long span Sahara
Desert and Forest terrain of Yobe,
Adamawa, Borno encouraged hideouts for the Insurgents to train,
mobilize and recruit without notice
and the crossing of illegal arms
was done freely due to the porosity
of the Nigerian border, Nigeria with

a
very
large
border
with
neighboring
Niger,
Chad
and
Cameroon
was
not
only
at
disadvantage due to the unmanned Land Border, but it serves
as a free zone for the illegal
operations and the activities of the
sect.
The few recognized entry points
in Borno and Adamawa were
attacked frequently, dis-lodging
the security operatives in areas
like Damboa, Konduga, Baga,
Mallam Fatori, Gamboru- Ngala,
Musini, Kwaibe, T-Junction, Banki
Bama, Gwoza, Darak, Sigal, Dutse
in
Borno
and
in
Adamawa
Madagalli, Michika,Bazza, Kamale,
Garta, along the Borno axis linking

Adamawa Mubi, Bazza,

Biduwa, and Vintim.

Bahuli,

C
HAP
TER
THR
EE
HOW
THEY SURVIVED
AND THRIVED
Certain factors bitter as they
may be, contributed to the survival
and thriving of the sect, right from
the nurturing state to where they
are today as monsters threatening
the peace, stability and unity of
the country.
FACTORS THAT FACILITATED
THE GROWTH OF BOKO HARAM

i.

ii.

iii.

iv.

Unhealthy rivalry between the

security
agencies
for
dominance,supremacy
and
relevance.
Lack of collaboration in the area
of intelligence sharing and
effective
management
and
utilization of same.
Leakage and sell-out among the
personnel(s) of the various
security communities/Agencies.
Infiltration of the security and
government Administration by
disgruntled elements of serving
and retired personnels who
have sympathy or are loyal to
the group or that are in accord
with the ideological pursuits of
the Boko-Haram Sect.

v.

vi.

vii.

Political Boko-Harams that are

taking
advantage
of
the
divisive, destructive tendencies
of the group to distract and
slow down good governance,
and making illegal monies
through
Money
Laundering,
illegal arms deals etc.
It is also an avenue for
oppositions
to
the
sitting
government to discredit the
government in power for every
positive step taking to curb,
curtail or contain the effect of
the
clandestine
insurgent
activities of the group by overblowing it.
Support and financing of the
terrorists activities by high
profile,
top
government

viii.

ix.

x.

functionaries and clerics who

are bent at dividing the nation
and making it un-governable
and
support
from
foreign
bodies.
Poor state of the economy and
unequal
distribution
of
resources to the citizenry birth
support for the group from
aggrieved
youths,
groups,
individuals, associations.
Lack of firmness on the side of
the
government
to
deal
decisively with the insurgent
from
on-set
before
they
became fully grown.
Misinformations,
distractions,
sabotage,
double-standard,
religious
intolerance,
ethnic
bigotry and want to dominate

others by the privileged few

that had amassed ill-gotten
wealth and are supportive of
the state of anarchy to avoid
the whistle blown against them
especially
those
being
investigated for various crimes
of fraud, money laundering and
related corrupt practices.
And many others form the
basis for the survival and
thriving of the Boko-Haram
insurgent group.
C
H
A
P
T
E
R

F
O
U
R
THE
MISSING
LINK IN
SECURIT
Y
APPARAT
US
In war or defense studies, the
art of execution of war is
dependent on the knowledge base
of the executioner, in Proper
Planning,
Research
and
Development of strategic and
operational tools for the successful
execution of such warfare.

The Boko Haram was initially

addressed as a civil crises situation
with the initial drafting of mobile
and conventional police to manage
the situation, unfortunately the
groups strength was more advance
than what the police contingents
expected, until the Army and Air
Force were drafted to come on
stage as at then Police operational
Vehicles, Arms and Ammunitions
uniforms and other accessories
have been carted away by the
insurgents in several attacks which
they use as decoy to penetrate
other police stations and barracks
they attacked at the on-set.
While the Army and Air Force
were trying to consolidate their
gains in a won battle against the

insurgents, the group withdrew

into their enclave to strategize for
reprisals and with support of their
financiers and supporters both
cash and weapons were supplied
them,
otherwise
their
initial
strength was check-mated by the
force of the Army and Air Force
team of Joint Task Force this time
around with the police at the
background alongside Customs and
Immigration to play supportive
operational team. The missing link
in security apparatus can only be
addressed,
if
the
following
Questions are addressed.
a. What
intelligence machinery
was put in place when the sect
illegal
activities
was
first

discovered to monitor their

activities?
b. Does the intelligent community
have enough record on the
background of the key actors or
commanders of the sect?
c.
If the record of the sect
commanders
was
available,
what makes them faceless or
untraceable by surveillance and
monitoring teams?
d. What
is
the
level
of
preparedness of the National
Forces in the Counter Insurgent
operations in deploying tools,
high-tech
surveillance
and
monitoring
equipments,
advance fire power to counter
the insurgent attacks?

As the case is now, the level of

intelligence displayed by the
Boko-Haram leaves no doubt to
the fact that they are befitting
from useful informations from
informants, sympathizers and
collaborators?
f.
The Chibok girls abduction
was carried out to buy time and
to be used as human shield
against attack (the time frame
was too much) which gave room
to the present predicament of
the girls, they are likely not
returning the same?
g. Sambisa
Forest was viewed as
an evil forest that nobody was
ready to go into; there is no
part of the country that should
be a no-go area for the
e.

securities, if we are living in a

secure state as a nation.
h. No
part of the country no
matter how small should be
ceded to the insurgents or
anyone as far as the integrity of
the nation is concerned, but it
seems the insurgents had field
days to annex local communities
and
hoist
their
flag
and
enthroned anointed chiefs in the
localities, it is not to be
tolerated in anyway.
i. The mutinous move by some of
the soldiers tried by General
military martial court left some
issues in doubt the role of the
military commanders, especially
the GOC of the 7th Division, in
Maiduguri and some top most

j.

I.

II.

senior officers at the high

command-what
led
to
the
mutiny?
The fate of the soldiers tried and
sentenced to death and the
moral of their colleagues and
the families of the soldiers
against the backdrop of national
service to ones fatherland.
CH
APT
ER 5
FACTORS
AIDING
THE
GROWTH AND NUMERICAL
INCREASES OF THE SECT.
They had enough time to
prepare their attack operations
from day one.
They
have
financiers
and
supporters both in government,

III.

IV.

V.

VI.

VII.

Security, Military and among the

citizenry
The Jobless youths, graduates
and non-graduates find it easier
to be conscripted with mouth
watery enticement.
Miscreants, hoodlums on the
streets were ready tools for the
recruitment into the insurgents
operations.
Mis-leading
informations
propagated by the sect at the
early stage of the groups
activities using the platform of
religious sentiments.
The terrain was very conducive
for their take-off training and a
hide-out for the group
Lack of enabling law to enable
the courts
prosecutes the

VIII.

arrested members of the sect to

serve as deterrent to others due
to lack of record on the
background of the case for
prosecution.
Initial low level of preparation
on the side of the government
troops to manage the situation
which was initially seen as crisis
situation that degenerated into
war aided the growth of the
sect.
C
HAP
TER
6
SUGGESTIONS
ON
CRUSHING

THE
INSURGENCY.
As an observer, a Conflict
Analyst, An Inter-faith Conflict
Resolution
expert,
and
a
Practitioner
in
the
field
of
International Affairs and Diplomacy
and Counter-Terrorism there is
globally acceptable practice and
standard for combating Insurgency
which has worked for the west and
is very much applicable to us in
Nigeria.
Nigeria is not an isolated
country in the fight against the
scourge
of
insurgency,
the
Americans are still battling with it,
by extension, the British in alliance
and other nations of the west,
when the Mali issue started after

the fall of Ghaddafi of Libya the

crises in Libya was viewed as their
internal problem, but it has
international
implication
particularly the movement of
fugitives, destitutes and asylum
seekers en masse
with illegal
arms into the region they were
actually not controlled.
Not
until
we
started
experiencing
the
reverberating
effect of the spill-over of the
Libyan crises and the fall of
Ghaddafi and the Malian Rebels
War, which from sources confirmed
and or unconfirmed shows that
Libya and Mali was part of the
testing ground and training camp
for the members of Boko Haram,
the arrest of Abdul-Mutallab on

board an American bound Aircraft

from Nigeria in a suicide attempt
that failed was another dimension
to the emergence of terrorism with
a Nigerian at the centre.
Maitatsine, Kalakato were
clandestine
threats
that
was
mustered to carry out a religious
face with terrorist undertone, they
all thrive in the North of Nigeria,
certain elements that rose up in
Bauchi and the Kalare in Gombe
were internal crises that supported
the platform for the survival of
Boko Haram of late.
It may interest readers of
this text to know that some state
executives used some of the boys
who are today in Boko Haram as
political thugs during campaign

and after election refused to keep

their status as untouchables, some
of the boys in an effort to revenge
as reprisal for unfulfilled promises
and payback defected to fight back
their former boss that engaged
them.
Until the issue of political
leaders seeking political office
using thuggery, violence, chaos
instigated to breach the peace and
making governance difficult for the
incumbent are brought to book and
the law takes its due course if
found wanting, the law against
impunity must be upheld by all and
sundry.
Chad,
Libya
and
Sudan
conflicts have a lot of negative
influence on the sect, and provided

access to illegal arms across the

border (it is also worthy to note
the weakness of the border
authorities in Nigeria) in carrying
out effective check on trans-border
crimes and other related issues,
there is need to deploy effective
and tested officers and men to the
border,
men
who
will
not
compromise and will defend the
security of the Nation even at the
expense of their life.
During the reign of Muamar
Ghaddafi which attracted the
intervention of France and resulted
in the lodgment of arms by the
French Government in Chad which
was beyond the war situation, a lot
of these arms went into wrong
hand in illegal arms deals both

within Chad and across its borders

to neighboring countries including
Nigeria.
The Hissene Habre vs. Idris
Debby in-house battle, and the
initiated coup in 1991 which was
aborted at Naira Tasha which
resulted in the arrest of 244
Tchadian Soldiers (Naira Tasha is a
Border Town in Borno).
The situation that culminated
in the emergence of clandestine
guerilla basis in the borders of
Mallam Fatori called Tumbum no
sooner did Kwanta-Kwanta the
use of razor to attack graduated
into the use of arms to rob and
attack innocent citizens travelling
along Mallam Fatori axis in Borno.

The Baga-Doro axis was also

an enclave where Chadian rebels
feasted in an area called no-mansland between Nigerian border and
Chad after the Chadian war, some
of the rebels were dislodged and
they settled in Nigeria from where
they
attack
their
home
government, it was an illegal
settlement, that was unknown to
the government but some security
operatives operating along the
border areas were aware of their
presence, and since they seem to
be harmless to their free passage
nobody reported their presence as
such, but on record cache of illegal
arms and war accessories were
brought into Nigeria across the

border by the dislodged Chadian

dissidents.
COMMON FRONT APPROACH
The various security agencies
involved in the fight against
terror
groups
and
their
activities can only succeed in
this war, if only they can all
work together operationally and
strategically
in
intelligence
gathering,
management
of
security related informations,
and usage of the same real
time to crush the insurgency.
We must also agree with
the fact that operational officers
should
try
to
acquaint
themselves with the terrain, the
culture of the people, and
religious background of the

people where they are situated

on operation left alone Borno,
Adamawa
and
Yobe,
this
knowledge must cut across the
country.
In
the
interim
the
insurgency in Adamawa, Borno
and Yobe states was prolonged
and supported by the strategic
locations of Borno state, that
shares common border with the
Chad, Niger and Cameroon, the
border officials around the area
are always faced with the
problem of homogenous nature
of the border community due to
cultural and religious connects.
The porosity of the border
and the volatile nature of the
locations formed the basis for

easy entrance and exits of the

clandestine
elements
that
metamorphosed
into
Boko
Haram in locations like Baga,
Mallam Fatori, Darak, Sigal,
Dutse, Tulotuluwa, Gamboru
Ngala, Banki, Bama in Borno
state, in Yobe places like
Machina, Dapchi in Geidam
Area, Buni Yadi, Damaturu,
Mobbar, Nguru, Bade, Yusufari
were unduly taken advantage of
the launch attack in Damaturu,
Buni-Yadi, and Geidam areas
taking advantage of the Niger
and Chad Border.
In Adamawa after leaving
Gwoza, places like Madagalli
Hill, Kamale, Garta, Biduwa,
Bahuli, Michika, Mubi, were

exploited by the insurgents to

enter Adamawa laying siege on
Mubi, Michika, Madagalli, the
escape route is always easier
because of the mountainous
terrain
around
Gwoza,
Madagalli and Kamale which
leads into the Cameroon.
States like Gombe, Bauchi,
Jigawa,
Kano,
Kaduna,
Plateau,Kogi, Abuja had the
reverberating effect of the
attacks due to spill-over of the
transportation of illegal arms
and the need for operational
basis in an attempt to secure
wider area of capture and
landing
grounds
for
the
Insurgents, since their intention
was in my view to disrupt the

peace,
to
slow
down
developments and make the
nation
un-governable
as
asserted by the speeches of
some prominent leaders from
the region who are at the
receiving end of the heat now.
STRATEGIC APPROACH
The adoption of Joint
Border Patrol between Nigeria
Border Authorities and that of
Chad, Niger and Cameroon will
go a long way in checkmating
the
free
movement
and
crossing of illegal arms into the
territory of any of the three
countries from the other.
The Massive Presence and
Strategic location of military
operational basis along the

Border states of Adamawa,

Yobe and Borno equipped with
modern surveillance and patrol
equipments,
vehicles
and
accessories
will
help
the
deployed troops stationed to
effectively go on surveillance,
patrol suspected locations and
with
tested
high-tech
intelligence equipments detect
clandestines
plans,
their
hideouts, and where they kept
in hiding weaponry meant for
their
operations
on
reconnaissance.
For those of us who have
had chance to visit some of the
border areas in peaceful times ,
the border settlements have the
peculiarity of cultural blend of

two countries bordering each

other, contiguous nature of
communal
structures,
homogeneity of cultural-ties,
similarity
of
religion
predominantly Muslim further
cements the relationship and
inter-marriages among others.
There
is
need
for
government to relate with the
Mais, Ajiyas and Lawan in
Borno and Yobe and the Emirs
and Local Chiefs, Ward heads in
Adamawa state and this by
extension to other states where
the attack was prominent to
check influx of criminals into
the community, the abolition of
local taxes which was a means
of identifying
local and

community
residents
also
contributed to the free entrance
and exit of strangers into
communities, since the local
people can no longer monitor
such, unlike in the past when
you know who your neighbor is,
people wake-up to see an
individual or group moving out
of the community or moving-in
and
without
notice
freely
without sense of belonging.
Property owners especially
landlords
must
be
held
accountable for any crime
committed by their tenant,
because landlords should be
enlightened to keep records of
their tenants and do thorough
background check and must

have referee of reliable and

notable
members of the
community for a new entrant
into the community.
The nature of undefined
landscapes
and
settlement,
cultural
affinity,
sometimes
hamper
distinction
between
Nigerians and their neighbors
around the border.
Transborder crimes, cattle
rustling, car theft across the
border are other issues that
constitutes security concern
and that requires swift checking
and authorities at the borders
must stop compromising to
save the country great loss
economically and all round.

Other school of thoughts

on strategic approach to crisis,
chaos, violence and insurgency
suggest that until perceptions
of injustice are addressed by
the resources available to
government, violence in the
country will only grow by
degrees.
At the on-set of the Boko
Haram clandestine activities the
then president Yaradua was
cautious not to use full military
might to raid their camps, but
subsequent
events
and
security reports made available
to him shows how the group
was
growing
in
strength
particularly with their attacks of
innocent citizens, confrontation

with government establishment

and institution of government
like the police, customs and
immigration personnel killed
either by attacks on their
homes or on them while moving
on the road ,it was initially
called unknown gunmen until
they started laying claims to
the
killings
(e.g
the
assassination of Major Gen
shuwa in Maiduguri), these and
many others lead to the the
authorization of military raid of
their camps in which the leader
of the group, Mohammed Yusuf
was killed, Nigerians are quick
to adjudge the killings of
criminals as extra-judicial, what
then do we call the killing of

innocent Nigerians by the same

criminals or clandestine groups.
(i.e. The abduction of Elder
statesman
Ali
Kotoko
in
Maiduguri).
Human rights groups and
lawyers in Nigeria must try to
exercise
caution
and
be
sensitive to Issues that boil on
national interest and should
defend it as such.
Boko Haram as far as this
text is concern are not faceless,
but they were over-protected
by some strong groups who
also finances and support the
sect, they are in all sector and
because of the power they will
and authority and privileges
they try to hamper the needed

success to tackle the insurgency

by
sabotaging
government
plans this and many other
factors
have
led
to
the
prolonging of the activities of
the insurgents until now.
The Issue of insurgency
does not just end in the North;
the government should try to
proscribe any clandestine group
operating in the country in any
name, particularly the few that
are preaching divisiveness and
disunity of the country the likes
of MENDS, MASSOP and the
dreaded BOKO-HARAM.
CHAPTER 7
MANAGING THE AFTER
SHOCK TRAUMA OF
DEVASTATION,

ABDUCTION AND
RECONSTRUCTION IN THE
AFFECTED STATES.
The after effect of the
insurgents hideous activities in
Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states
and other states where they
strucked will leave with the people
for quite a period of time, as it will
be very difficult for a grown up
orphan to forget what killed his
parents nor a wife what killed her
husband, neither a husband to
forget what killed his wife, a friend
will hardly forget how a fellow
friend died in a Blast while he or
she managed to escape with a
whisker this and many escape

experiences, is what I refer to as

managing the aftershock, trauma
of devastation, the parents of the
over 200 abducted girls from the
school in Chibok, many we were
told died of shock and others are
treating stroke which is a primary
effect and could lead to death of its
victim, but the big question
remains after the recovery of this
girls from the hands of their
abductors in what shape or form
and how to manage, rehabilitate
and re-unite them? Is the question
that posterity will answer?

APPROACH TO
THE RELEASE OF
THE ABDUCTEES
The dreaded Boko Haram
may not spare the innocence of
these young girls, but the
general believe is five or more
months after the abduction is
enough a time for the abductors
to have done whatsoever they
intend to achieve by the
abduction in the first instance,
the condition or treatment the
girls or the captives were
subjected to is another thing,
while the aftermath of the
abductees on release,
predictably they cannot be the
same emotionally,
psychologically, and as normal

human beings they will have to

undergo trauma-management,
psycho-social treatments,
medical treatments of all sort of
ailments.
The government must be
ready to provide facilities to
accommodate them on being
recovered either by the military
or when released by chance or
negotiation either. They cannot
be released to join the family
they parted way with unceremoniously months past
without a rehabilitation before
re-union.
In this chapter recovery of
the abductees, rehabilitation
and re-union with their
immediate family and the

general society will take

sequence and planned with
experts to handle every stage
from recovery, to rehabilitation
to re-union.
Rehabilitation
Just like a child that is
learning to walk for the first
time it is exciting, but an adult
that was involved in accident or
mishap and escaped with a
broken leg or limb or lost one
arm or eye will have to learn
how to start walking with
crotches or walking stick, any
one that lost one arm will have
to learn how to cope with only
one arm to survive, and the
fellow that lost one eye will also
need to adjust to been use to

one eye that is an example of

rehabilitation, in the case of the
abducted girls when they return
they will have to learn to trust
anybody around them, they will
have to cope with sudden shout
or abnormal sound around,
every other person around them
will learn to cope with their faith
in the people around them and
sudden night mares of their past
experiences in the hand of their
abductors.
Their general view of the
society as un-caring and evil will
have to be addressed in their
mind-set, the period they spent
in the hand of their captors is
enough to separate them from
the society by withdrawing to

themselves and they are

unpredictable on return.
The unpredictability of the
character of the returnee is
an issue that the society will
be
dealing with from time to time, as
some of them must have
adjusted, assimilated to the way
of life of their captors, the long
period of brain-washing and reorientation counts in the process
of rehabilitation.
We cannot rule out one or
more of them returning as suicide
bomber or advocate of the same
propaganda that led to their
abduction due to psychological
adjustment and assimilation and
that is why a repentant terrorist

unless and if rehabilitated, may

just be a pretender.
RE-UNION
The returnees can only be reunited to their families and the
society after a thorough
rehabilitation and certification by
experts that both the aftershock,
training and state of health of the
victim is recovered and normalcy
has returned to the system
emotionally , psychologically,
socially and health wise.
The government and the society
must be ready to accept them
back into the fold without
discrimination and provisions be
made to accommodate them in a
safer environment pending when
they fully recover. Some of the

girls may and may not be able to

continue their educational pursuit
because of the past experience
which will register in their
memory, but government should
always encourage those that will
be willing to continue, while all of
them if possible should be
engaged by government in
campaign and advocacy against
terrorism and abduction in the
society, this they will do better as
victims and their experience will
bridge the gap in handling similar
issues anywhere else in the world
at least we have the like of Malala
that came visiting Nigeria on
account of the abducted over 200
chibok girls, even though she
could not do much but her

personality tells so much and bare

on the society she represents, the
abducted girls experience may not
be far from same, our hope is to
recover them and the people of
Nigeria should be prepared to live
with them as advocates of peace
for the Nation.
CHAPTER 8
ENVIRONMENTAL
EFFECTS OF THE
INSURGENCY IN THE
AFFECTED AREAS
Insurgency as it relates to Boko
Haram terrorist activities spread
from Borno, Yobe and Adamawa
with spill-over to Gombe, Bauchi,
Jigawa, kano, Kaduna, plateau,

and Abuja(FCT) and partly kogi

and katsina this act lead to mass
exodus of the indigents and
residents to adjoining or
neighboring states .
From the spectrum of
professional security practice, it is
a known fact that wherever
terrorism rare its ugly head, it
does not end in a month, a year,
but subject to the military might of
the nation and ability and
capability to curtail or contain it,
wherever it exists in reasonable
time.
Nigeria is therefore not an
exception of a prolonged battle

between government forces and

insurgents , terrorism operates
from diverse platforms religious,
ethnic minority agitating for
recognition, socio-cultural
differences, political and economic
inequality and un-equal
distribution of power and resources
by government among citizenry
could lead to the formation of
groups of agitators, sects like Boko
Haram in a bid to fight a course
the government must do
everything possible to unravel the
actual motive behind the agitation
or sectarian revolution Boko
Haram.

Because the battle between the

government troops and the
insurgents involves machineries
like armored tanks, vehicle of
different shapes and sizes SUV,
HILUX, PICKUP, VANS, AUTOCYCLES that plies the farmlands
without taking recourse to the land
as either farmlands or grazing
reserves the land is exposed to
harshness of thrashing and
frequent movement of automachines and heavy duty warmachines that exposes it to
drought and harsh weather.
Most farmlands are left bare,
while houses are destroyed by the

fire-power of bullets, explosives

and other devices. Water fronts
and source of water from the rivers
are exposed and due to constant
drainage drain-away resulting in
Drought, famine and destruction to
the water beds in some cases.
Environmental devastation is
the after effect of long time
illegal occupation of farmlands
and
communities
by
the
insurgents and the turning of
some
communities
to
operational
base
for
the
government troops, this leads to
abandonment of fertile, high
crop yielding land mass to battle

fields due to heavy earth

movements, unless urgent and
critical national intervention like
the Presidential Initiative for the
North East (PINE) and many
other intervention programmes
are put in place to save the
affected
communities
from
famine, drought and hunger
which may end up being the
secondary
killer
in
such
communities.
In my opinion aggressive
agricultural projects must be
embarked upon to restore the
once
fertile
lands
in
the
communities affected, with soft

loans for the victims to help the

people recover and continue
with their way of living, even
though it will take time for
things to return to normal as
many homes must have lost
their occupants, there are many
orphans, widows and widowers
and there is likely to be a
complete
wipe-out
of
a
generation.
The North-East communities
are mostly agrarian societies,
the land mass is what they rely
upon for both food and cash
crop farming as a way of living
and must be recovered for the

good of the people to avoid

mass rural to urban migration
which on its own is an economic
disaster and a product of deficit
in the infrastructure available in
the urban areas, light cost,cost
of food supplies, services and
goods due to mass exodus and
increase rural-urban migration
and settlement.
C
HAP
TER
9
GOVERNMENT INTERVENTION
IN
ENACTING
AND

IMPLEMENTING
PEOPLES
FRIENDLY LAWS TO GUIDE
AGAINST
EXTREMISM
AND
TERRORISM
The constitution of the federal
Republic of Nigeria, 1999 for
now remains the recognized and
authentic law for the country,
every
other
borrowed
and
smuggled law by extremists in
trying to cede communities or
hoisting flags in communities is
against the constitution, forced
conversion to another religion
from another is against the
spirit
behind
freedom
to

peaceful
association
and
assembly and personal liberty.
In a way of synthesis and
analysis
of
some
basic
provisions in the constitution,
we
shall
x-ray
some
fundamentals
in
the
constitution logically: Under General provisions in
chapter1, part1, section1, 2, 3
we have the supremacy of the
constitution,
the
Federal
Republic of Nigeria, the states
of the federation and the
Federal Capital Territory, Abuja
there is no provision for a Boko
Haram Caliphate, community or
region, the constitution is

supreme as a federation and

only one capital recognized.
Part2, which deals with the
powers of the Federal Republic
of
Nigeria
sections
4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11
states
in
clear and un-ambiguous terms
legislative powers, Executive
powers, Judicial powers, Local
Government system, New state
and
boundary
adjustment,
mode of altering provisions of
the constitution, prohibition of
state religion, public order and
public security.
Chapter2,
talks
about
fundamental objective views
and directive principles of state
policy
in
section
13,14,15,16,17,181,19,20,21,2

2,23 which has to do with the

fundamental obligations of the
government and the people,
political objectives, economic
objectives, social objectives,
educational objectives, foreign
policy objectives, environmental
objective, directive on Nigerian
cultures, obligation of the mass
media, national ethics among
others any attempt to import
alien cultures is negating the
principle behind the oneness
and unity of an existing
provision in the constitution.
Chapter3, section 32 has to
do with the power to make
regulations which is not vested
on
individuals,
groups
or

associations but on a legitimate

government
constituted
authorities. So Boko Haram
cannot make law for a federal
Republic, neither can they force
people to be converted due to
certain
rules
or
principles
formulated by them
Chapter4
deals
with
fundamental
rights
of
the
citizens
in
sections
33,34,
35,36,37,38,39,40,41,42,43,44,
45 which deals with the right to
life, right to dignity of human
person which is being abused by
the abduction of girls, women
and young men forced into the

Boko Haram group and forced

into servitude, slavery and other
vices that is criminal in nature
especially as insurgents or
terrorists, we also have the right
to liberty or freedom, right to
fair hearing, right to private and
family life, right to freedom of
thought, conscience and religion
the abducted girls, women and
young men were deprived of
their right to freedom of
thought, conscience and religion
as they were said to be forced to
convert or those that resist are
out rightly killed which is against
right to life.

Right
to
freedom
of
expression and the press, right
to
peaceful
assembly
and
association
which
was
the
reason why the group were left
to associate and to meet in
assemblies, until they started
confronting government and
institutions
and
propagating
alien doctrines and way of life
that is undermining of the laws
of the land and threatening the
peace and unity of the country.
Right
to
freedom
of
movement, right to freedom
from discrimination, right to
acquire and own immovable

property anywhere in Nigeria

lead to the sects acquiring lands
to build schools and residential
houses which they later turned
to operational basis against the
original
purpose
for
the
purchase.
As
a
way
of
encouraging the citizens to
acquire property there is the
provision
on
compulsory
acquisition of property and also
restriction on and derogation
from fundamental rights.
Chapter5, has to do with the
legislature part1b which deals
with
the
procedure
for
summoning and dissolution of

National Assembly section 64

which empowers the president
to Dissolve (Dissolution) and
issue of proclamations, the Boko
Haram wants to form an enclave
which
is
an
indirect
empowerment
usurping
the
powers of the president for
dissolution
and
to
issue
proclamations that they have
exhibited
in
circulars
they
circulated spelling out their
secret agenda of succession
plans.
In provision of the Federal
Constitution, 1999, chapter7,
part1e, section 260,261,262,263

and 264 explicitly spelt out an

existing Sharia system in the
establishment of the Sharia
Court of Appeal of the Federal
Capital Territory, Abuja being
the capital, appointment of
Grand Khadi and Kadis of the
Sharia Court of Appeal of the
Federal Capital Territory, Abuja,
jurisdiction,
constitution,
practice and procedure. And part
11b on state courts section
275,276,277,278,279 deals with
the establishment of State
Sharia
Court
of
Appeal,
appointment of Grand Khadi and
Kadis of the State, jurisdiction,

constitution,
procedure.

practice

and

Chapter7,
partII
on
miscellaneous
provisions,
section 305 and 307 deals with
the procedure for proclamation
of state of emergency like we
witnessed in Plateau during the
administration of Chief Olusegun
Obasanjo and Chief Joshua
Dariye as executive governor in
Plateau, and most recently in
Adamawa, Borno and Yobe
states due to the nefarious
activities of the Boko Haram
sect even though the civilian
governors were left in office due

to the benevolence of Mr.

President
Goodluck
Ebele
Jonathan GCFR under schedules,
the first schedule, part 1 deals
with the states of the federation
which does not recognize any
territory captured temporarily by
Boko Haram that they self
declared caliphate. We have for
now thirty six (36) states of the
federation including Abuja the
Federal Capital and Nigeria as a
nation (federation).

CHAPTER 10

PROCESSING OF
CAPTURED
AND
SURRENDERING
SECT
MEMBERS
As the war on insurgency
progresses and the leaders of
the sect are either wounded,
killed or escaped as the case
may be, it will interest readers
to know that many of the sect
members out of fear, and lack
of leadership and backing will
either willingly surrender to law
enforcement agencies or the
military or be captured in hideouts.
Time is actually the factor in
every war situation at a given
time the winning party will know

whether
they
are
actually
winning, while the losing party
will know whether they are on
the losing side by casualty and
numbers of battles lost and the
withdrawal of its members as a
result of the overpowering effect
of the opponent.
When the sect members
actually realizes that they are
been
overpowered
by
government forces either due to
mass killing, injuries or self
defection of its members, they
are likely to surrender or may
be on the run, but the bottomline is that the government
forces will ultimately win the
battle no matter how long or

whatever the duration of the

war.
The world over, insurgents or
terrorists have never won the
battle of supremacy, we are
likely to see either the sect
members surrendering or been
captured either way, it is a sign
of weakness of the insurgent
forces
as
the
warfare
progresses.
PROCESSING/
DEBRIEFING
The captured or surrendered
members are valuable materials
for information gathering for the
security community and the
military intelligence report, what
they are likely to extract from
the surrendering or captured

members have a way of helping

them
in
either
locating,
discovering or strategizing to
overcoming the location and
operational basis of the sects,
the hideouts and other relevant
information that will be vital for
both strategic and operational
plans of the troops to overrun
the insurgents.
Let us also not forget the fact
that some of
them are not
genuinely repentant, it must
either be fear or lack of
confidence in the group or either
after witnessing heavy attack
and having escaped or possibly
the sight of a leader been killed
in the battle ground.

The level of information

divulged will give clue to the
fact whether the individual or
group are been sincere when
the security analysis the fact or
informations made available
through
their
personal
confessions and possible use
same, if it is yielding result,
otherwise
sometimes
the
informations are not genuine
and will need to be tested while
the captives are under watch in
a
maximally
secured
environment.
Disclosure of number of
casualty or of deaths recorded
or the injured is in line with
international best practices of
freedom of information (FOI),

that is not to say that certain

actions or informations are to
be secured and vetted before it
is passed to public domain
without censoring and counting
the cost on the prevalent
warfare, the risk of such
exposure or disclosure and likely
damage it may cause the troop
both in their morale and
performance
must
be
considered.
But warfare involves both the
war
of
words
which
is
propaganda
and
the
real
execution of the war strategic
and operational aspect of the
warfare.
CHAPTER 11

LEVELS OF CONFLICT
SITUATIONS
THAT
LEADS TO WAR
Every issue of life is a stage
by stage affair, as a people we
must recognize the process of
incubation, growth and maturity
which is synonymous to human life
and existence from birth to
maturity (old age).
The same goes for a crises
prone situation that graduates
from crises to war considering the
various indices that could be used
to assess the various stages i.e.
peace, relative peace, crisis, war.
REFERENCES
-Daily Newspaper Reports from
2002-date.

-Information/Bulletins from
National Information Cocoordinating Centre, Abuja.
-Press Releases by the Director of
Defense Information.
-Press Releases by the Police
Public Relation Department.
-Press Releases by the Department
of State Services Public Relations
Unit.
-Analysis by Experts in the Field of
Security Practice.
-Authors Personal Research work
from 2002-date.