BOKO HARAM IN THE CONTEXT OF GLOBAL JIHADISM: A CONCEPTUAL ANALYSIS OF VIOLENT EXTREMISM IN NORTHERN NIGERIA AND COUNTER-TERRORISM MEASURES

This Article aims to fill a gap in the literature through a conceptual analysis of Boko Haram's global nature and utilizing that analysis to evaluate current counter-terrorism measures against the group. Central to this analysis will be the question of whether the group can be categorized as a global jihadist group. Global jihadism is understood in this Article as a pan-Islamist movement against Western interests. This Article argues that status as a global jihadist organization and hierarchy within the world's global jihadist movement are best evaluated on a three-criteria approach using the indicators of conforming ideology, militant operations/targets, and external relations or cooperation. It will be further argued that these criteria are important not only to provide a more comprehensive way of thinking of international terrorism but also in creating effective countermeasures to the Boko Haram threat. Using this methodology, this Article argues that because of Boko Haram's less violent origins, its tepid connection to larger global jihadist entrepreneurial groups, and its situational leader-centric operational priorities, Boko Haram presents fertile potential to arrive at relatively non-violent solutions to the conflict in Northern Nigeria. Moreover, Nigeria's counter-terrorism approach, which is primarily military-based, and marred by corruption and massive human rights abuses, is unlikely to succeed due to a lack of proper conceptualization of Boko Haram's evolution and its current status.