Terrorism in a Semi-Peripheral State of Africa: Boko- Haram Conflict and its Contending Perspectives in the North - Eastern Nigeria

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to anatomize the different contentious issues that instigated the outbreak of Boko-Haram conflict in the North-Eastern Nigeria. Just like any other terrorist organizations, the underlying causes of Boko-Haram conflict are highly contestable. The metamorphoses of Boko-Haram movement over the years have added different colorations to the Boko Haram conundrum in the North-Eastern Nigeria. The study intends to cast new light on the contending perspectives on   Boko-Haram conflict in the region beyond common narratives. The study utilized both the secondary and primary sources of data. The primary data were generated through the utility of Key Informant Interviews (KIIs), and the secondary source of data were generated from textbooks, journals, newspapers and web-based materials. The data generated were analyzed using logic inductive and thematic analyses. The findings of the study were predicated on implicit and explicit factors bolstering Boko-Haram conflict . The findings in this study revealed that Boko-Haram has metamorphosed on five different occasions after the gestation period with different factors responsible for the metamorphoses. Beyond poverty and fragmented Islamic religion which are known as explicit factors, the study revealed some implicit factors that have aided Boko-Haram conflict in the North-East