Boko Haram crisis in Nigeria: a nexus of just war and fragile state

ABSTRACT

Boko Haram activities in Nigeria and the larger West African region continue to attract international attention. This has prompted scholars and policymakers to examine the impact of the group and seek measures to eradicate its growing threat. However, existing literatures have focused on the ideology and nature of violence perpetuated by the group. Only a few studies have sought to examine the deep-rooted factors that motivate hundreds of young people to join the outfit. This paper aims to scrutinise the relationship between state fragility, nature of government response to Boko Haram and the group’s resilience. It argues that the origins of the group can be linked to various aspects of state fragility, and that the government’s response, founded on a Just War theoretical approach, has not been effective thus resulting in a cycle of violence. The authors recommend the adoption of a robust policy that combines short-  and long-term, soft- and hard-power strategies to defeat the group and its ideology.

KEYWORDS:

• Just war theory
• Boko Haram
• Nigeria
• counter-terrorism
• West Africa