Boko Haram and the Conspiracy Theory in Nigeria
Linus Ugwu Odo
Department of Public Administration
IBB University, Lapai, Niger State, Nigeria
Email: dr.odolinus1@gmail.com
ABSTRACT
The continued resilience of Boko Haram insurgency and terrorism in Nigeria under the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari contrasts heavily with the belief among many Nigerians that his emergence would bring an end to the Boko Haram hostilities in the country. This belief had been anchored on the conspiracy theory that the Boko Haram sect was being sponsored by some prominent northern politicians to undermine the government of President Goodluck Jonathan and make the country “ungovernable” for him. The paper interrogates this prevailing conspiracy theory and the continued Boko Haram attacks, which had remained a potent threat to many Nigerian communities especially in the northern parts of the country with particular reference to the north eastern states. The paper made use of secondary sources for the study obtaining data from both published and unpublished works on insurgency and terrorism at local and global levels. The paper found that the continued attacks by the Boko Haram terrorists against the Nigerian state and people even under President Muhammadu Buhari’s government had invalidated and jettisoned the prevalent conspiracy theory. Finally, the paper concluded with far-reaching recommendations on how to bring an end to the heinous activities of the Boko Haram sect on the Nigerian soil and allow people in the affected areas return to their homes to resume normal lives.
Keywords: Boko Haram, Conspiracy, Theory, Resilience, Insurgency, Terrorism
