Boko Haram: Tactics and evolving operational strategies in Northern Nigeria

Abstract

Boko Haram, which translates from Hausa to mean ‘Western Education is forbidden,’ has ignominiously attracted negative attention and publicity from many quarters in Nigeria and the international community at large. Indeed, the organisation is arguably one of the significant security concerns confronting the Nigerian State. This has undoubtedly created an atmosphere of fear and terror, especially among Nigerians in the North. Generally, their activities threaten the very fabric of the country’s unity, prosperity, and stability. The paper is a desk study, drawing heavily from secondary sources of data and analysing it using the thematic method. It examines the evolution, operational, and tactical transformation of Boko Haram from a small, localised group into a violent Islamic insurgent group with better coordination and sophistication. Findings show that the strategic and tactical flexibility of the group’s operations is peculiar to all asymmetrical warfare. It, therefore, recommends that the Nigerian government intensify its counter-insurgency war while also exploring the option of expanding the counter-insurgency war beyond the military option to include addressing the socio-economic realities in Northern Nigeria, such as unemployment, poverty, and illiteracy.