Boko Haram, Social Identity Group, Human (In)security and Counter-Insurgency/Counterterrorism

This paper uses social identity group theory and the concept of human insecurity to explain the initial allure of Boko Haram and its durability. The Boko Haram insurgency and the military’s strong-arm tactics have wreaked havoc on a region where insecurity is pervasive due to decades of neglect and abuse. The current situation in Northern has effectively meant that people have a binary choice: join Boko Haram or work with the military, neither is ideal. The EU has recognized the importance of Nigeria and the threat that Boko Haram poses to its own security, providing enormous financial support to address humanitarian needs, but without an end to the pervasive sense of mutual suspicion, northeast Nigeria will continue to suffer from the Boko Haram insurgency, which therefore requires the Nigerian government to invest more in capacity building and local empowerment and not only relying on hard military power.