Violence, Radicalism and Boko Haram in Nigeria

Abstract

This study focuses on the African continent, where colonialism is one of the first phenomena that comes to mind, and more specifically on Nigeria, situated along the Gulf of Guinea. It emphasizes that colonialism, which aimed to dominate lands and control raw material resources, has not only left a centuries-long impact but continues to exist in a transformed manner. Highlighting this does not reveal an unknown truth. Colonial powers disrupted the structure of the regions they exploited by drawing artificial borders, thereby creating new multi-ethnic nations and fundamentally altering their composition. It is a historical fact that African nations, over time, achieved their goals of independence against colonial powers. However, local leaders’ failure to address the artificial borders left behind by colonialists paved the way for new conflicts on the continent. The inability to find a lasting solution to the issue of artificial borders has perpetuated violence, conflict, radicalism, and terrorist organizations on the continent. Nigeria is one of the countries in Africa often associated with such negative phenomena. Boko Haram, an organization synonymous with violence, is one of the most prominent entities in this context. There are numerous studies on Nigeria and Boko Haram. One such study is Fuad Ferhavi’s book, “Violence, Radicalism, and Boko Haram in Nigeria.” This work examines and analyzes the aforementioned book through an interpretive approach.

Keywords: Violence, Conflict, Terrorism, Nigeria.