BOKO HARAM BOKO HARAM Security Considerations and the Rise of an Insurgency Ona Ekhomu CRC Press Taylor & Francis Group 6000 Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300 Boca Raton, FL 33487-2742  2020 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC CRC Press is an imprint of Taylor & Francis Group, an Informa business No claim to original U.S. Government works International Standard Book Number-13: 978-1-138-56136-6 (Hardback) This book contains information obtained from authentic and highly regarded sources. Reasonable efforts have been made to publish reliable data and information, but the author and publisher cannot assume responsibility for the validity of all materials or the consequences of their use. The authors and publishers have attempted to trace the copyright holders of all material reproduced in this publication and apologize to copyright holders if permission to publish in this form has not been obtained. If any copyright material has not been acknowledged please write and let us know so we may rectify in any future reprint. Except as permitted under U.S. Copyright Law, no part of this book may be reprinted, reproduced, transmitted, or utilized in any form by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying, microfilming, and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without written permission from the publishers. For permission to photocopy or use material electronically from this work, please access www. copyright.com (http://www.copyright.com/) or contact the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc. (CCC), 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, 978-750-8400. CCC is a not-for-profit organization that provides licenses and registration for a variety of users. For organizations that have been granted a photocopy license by the CCC, a separate system of payment has been arranged. Trademark Notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Ekhomu, Ona, author. Title: Boko Haram : security considerations and the rise of an insurgency / Ona Ekhomu. Description: Boca Raton, FL : CRC Press, Taylor & Francis Group, 2019. | Includes index. | Summary: “Boko Haram analyzes the activities and atrocities of Nigeria’s Jihadi terrorist group, Boko Haram in the context of global religious fundamentalism and extremism. The book traces the early beginnings of the religious sect, the conversion of its leader to radical Islam in 2002, and the group’s campaign of violence beginning in 2009 and continuing to the present. The group’s attacks against a variety of targets are examined in detail as are their general tactics and strategies. The Nigerian government response is also examined in order to provide critical lessons to counter-terrorism planners, officials and scholars. The initial military response was hampered by capability and legislative constraints including lack of arms and ammunitions, lack of modern counter-terrorism equipment, training gap, leadership issues, intelligence gap, politicization of the conflict, and limited support for the Nigerian Military by the international community. The book looks at the work that has been done thus far, and what work needs to continue, to make gains to combat, marginalize, and ultimately defeat Boko Haram and resolve the conflict facing Nigeria.”—Provided by publisher. Identifiers: LCCN 2019020895 (print) | LCCN 2019981544 (ebook) | ISBN 9781138561366 (hardback : alk. paper) | ISBN 9780203710838 (ebook) Subjects: LCSH: Boko Haram—History. | Terrorist organizations—Nigeria—History--21st century. | Terrorism—Prevention—Government policy—Nigeria. | Social conflict—Nigeria--Religious aspects. | Insurgency—Nigeria. Classification: LCC HV6433.N62 B6524 2019 (print) | LCC HV6433.N62 (ebook) | DDC 363.32509669—dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019020895 LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019981544 Visit the Taylor & Francis Web site at http://www.taylorandfrancis.com and the CRC Press Web site at http://www.crcpress.com This book is dedicated to the memory of the Nigerian service members who lost their lives in the war against the Boko Haram insurgency. May their supreme sacrifices not be in vain. Amen. CONTENTS Acknowledgements ix Preface xi The Author xiii Prologue xv PART ONE Historical Background 1 History of Boko Haram 3 2 Reign of Terror 19 3 BH Reloaded 35 4 Prelude to War 47 5 Funding of BH 63 PART TWO Choice of Targets 6 Targeting Military and Corrections 83 7 Targeting Law Enforcement 103 8 Targeting Schools and Students 113 9 Infrastructure Attacks 131 10 Divine Targets 149 11 Targeted Assassinations 167 vii CONTENTS PART THREE Combating Insurgency 12 The Military Solution 183 13 Negotiations 201 14 International Assistance 219 15 Solving the Insurgency 237 Index 255 viii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This author is exceedingly grateful to editor Mark Listewnik for ensur- ing that the book was completed and published. I also owe a profound debt of gratitude to Mrs. Jennifer Abbott who first asked me to consider writing a book on Boko Haram after she attended my presentation in October 2014. My gratitude also goes to my wife, Victoria, who nudged me daily to complete this book. Aside from encouraging and cheering, Vicky also sometimes assisted me with research. My daughter, Dr. Omonigho Ekhomu, served as the project manager for this book project. She set deadlines and followed up with me on meeting those commitments. My other daughter, Miss Edowaye Ekhomu, also kept me focused on com- pleting this with her gentle but persistent nudging. I am also grateful to my former secretary, Mrs. Joke Shittu, Vicky’s for- mer secretary, Mrs. Shakirat Omowunmi, my research assistant, Mr. Chigozie Onyemachi, and my personal assistant, Ms. Tope Adesuyi, for assisting me in numerous ways in the delivery of this product. My greatest thanks go to Almighty God – my enabler and the source of my knowledge. I give all praise to God and God alone. ix