As the Boko Haram armed group began advancing in the northeast of Nigeria more than a decade ago, thousands of people were forcibly displaced. Years later, in 2015, the newly elected President Muhammadu Buhari promised to eradicate the armed group so that people could finally return to their homes. Although Buhari’s goal was partially achieved as major towns in the northeast were recaptured by government forces, sporadic attacks in the area continue to be a threat, leaving many people still reluctant to the idea of returning to their hometowns.
A recent attack was registered on 22 February in the northeastern town of Dikwa. Although no one has claimed responsibility, it is very likely the offensive was carried out by Boko Haram and its splinter faction, the Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP). The ongoing conflict in the northeast of the country, which has also spilled into neighbouring countries, has caused the death of tens of thousands of people, forced displacement of more than two million inhabitants.
However, the hostilities with Boko Haram are not the only agent of rising insecurity in Nigeria. A common threat in the northwest of the country is the mass abductions by gangs of bandits who kidnap people in exchange for money for their release. These gangs often target schools in rural areas, as they are beyond the reach of state control. Just last month, on 26 February, 300 young girls were abducted, and later released, while they were at school in Zamfara state. Finally, the state of increasing violence and insecurity in Nigeria is fostered by other security crises around the country, such as the conflict between herders and farmers in north-central Nigeria, or the clashes between government forces and a southeastern group campaigning for secession.
To know more, please read:
aljazeera.com/news/2021/3/2/children-seized-towns-attacked-can-nigeria-fix-security-crises
news.un.org/en/story/2021/03/1086242
Author: Laura Manzi; Editor: Andrew Goodell
