The Politics of Counter-Terrorism in Nigeria

Abstract

Like other countries confronted with socio-political, economic and security concerns, Nigeria has implemented strategies in response to its economic, political, ethnic and religious crises. The ethnic and religious plurality of the Nigerian state has, to a great extent, influenced the occurrence of political violence in the country. The homogeneity of the state has also engendered complexity in its response to the resulting conflict and violence. This paper examines the Nigerian state, focusing on the various counterterrorism strategies adopted by the Nigerian government and the implications of such strategies for the state, society, and economy. The various counterterrorism strategies exist on the pedestal of the National Counter-Terrorism Strategy and Acts of the National Assembly, called NACTEST. This paper interrogates government performance in the implementation of NACTEST, identifies its achievements, and exposes the limitations of legislative and other policy frameworks in dismantling Boko Haram’s terrorism and ensuring peace and security in the crisis zones.  This paper exposes the skewed fiscal relations under the defective federalism and how decisions on Boko Haram are driven by primordial, political, ethnic, and religious considerations