Making Nigeria Ungovernable

Abstract

Chapter three captures the beginning of Boko Haram’s jihad and the initial stages of the post-2009 violence: 2009-2012, following the brutal and extrajudicial killing of Muhammad Yusuf by the Nigerian police. It catalogues the matrix of events including warfare strategy that depict Boko Haram’s clash with the Nigerian state and perceived enemies including Christians and the media. The chapter also shows a significant interaction between Boko Haram and other transnational terrorist organisations such as al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and al-Qaeda central. The earliest internal schism and fractionalisation of Boko Haram that led to several splinter groups such as Ansaru-2012 are discussed in this chapter.