‘Small Fires Causing Large Fires’: An Analysis of Boko Haram Terrorism–Insurgency in Nigeria

Since July 2009, when the popular founder of Boko Haram, Mohammed Yusuf, was extrajudicially killed by police, group has become radicalised. Haram started terrorising country, particularly northeastern zone, which extends to Cameroon, Niger, and Lake Chad. Several works on group, mostly foreign commentators scholars, have mainly attributed its rise political economic factors. Many those not also recognised metamorphosis from terrorism insurgency, wherein is now replacing secular status Nigeria’s configuration with a monolithic Islamic caliphal rule in swathes land that it captured. Even though Nigerian government adopted factors canvassed scholars denies an ideological anchorage, I argue Haram’s scaffolding hinged ultra-jihadi Salafism. Relying qualitative sources, employ historical interpretive framework explicating origin content analysing President Muhammad Buhari’s 2015 inaugural speech, any leaning Islam. then contend such denial made counter-insurgency measures counter-productive, as efforts at meeting are difficult achieve present circumstance. I, therefore, recommend measures, include, amongst others, Western education, de-radicalisation processes, narratives, well ideas cut off recruitment youth into military engagement, both short- long-term strategies.