International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) |Volume II, Issue VIII, August 2018|ISSN 2454-6186 www.rsisinternational.org Page 127 Boko Haram Insurgency in Nigeria: Changing the Pattern of Counterinsurgency Modu Lawan Gana 1* , Ku Hasnita Binti Ku Samsu 2 , Mohd Mahadee Bin Ismail 3 1 Department of Public Administration, Mai Idris Alooma Polytechnic Geidam, Nigeria 2, 3 Department of Nationhood and Civilization Studies, Universiti Putra Malaysia *Corresponding Author Abstract: This paper is a concept that x-rayed the existing pattern of counterinsurgency methods taken by Nigeria’s government in combating an insurgent Boko Haram in Nigeria. The paper argued that the growth and sustenance of Boko Haram insurgency despite the successive counterinsurgency measures by the Nigeria’s government is rooted from the enemy centric approach of the government that resulted in unquantifiable destruction of human and material goods. The repressive military action characterise by dragnet arrest, indefinite detentions and disappearance, looting and burning of civilian properties raises suspicions on the military that resulted in their detachment from the communities they are policing. This therefore denied the government with vital intelligence about the insurgent movement, their modus operandi and their dens. As consequence, the paper argued it captivated further support for the Boko Haram group from the affected communities. The paper in its contribution recommend that to ensure speedy successes in combating the Boko Haram group, Nigeria’s government is to change its military centric counterinsurgency approach to civilian oriented measures that will incorporate the civilian groups in the affected communities into the counterinsurgency team. Keywords: Boko Haram, Nigeria, Violence, Insurgency, Counterinsurgency I. INTRODUCTION igeria since the returned of it democratic governance in 1999 after about 16 years of non-stop military dictatorships, the country once regarded as giant of Africa appeared to a lingering security challenges posted by an insurgent group Boko Haram. Boko Haram, a colloquial literally „western education is sin‟ is an Islamic fundamentalist whose aim is to establish an Islamic state within the Nigeria sovereign state that should be adjudicate with the spiritual laws of Qur‟an and Hadith, the holy books of Islam. In propagation of this objective, the group erupt into violence through fierce confrontation with the institutions of state [police, military and their appendices]. Since the eruption of it violence, Boko Haram was successfully enlisted as one the most dreadful threat in Nigeria‟s political history, particularly after the end of it civil war in the 1970s. In fact, accounts of human and collateral damages incurred on the state and the citizenry is scarce, this is because official records are skew and scholarly works are majorly on secondary data most through media collections, however, there is agreement that the damage incurred on the state cannot be underestimated. To date, conservative accounts have indicates that about 30,000 people were brutally murdered, and 2 million others forcedly displaced in their settlement. More so, key public and private institutions such hospitals, schools, markets, banks, power and gas stations were blatantly damage, some are unrepairable. Worst in the history of the Boko Haram violence is its defiance to most of the counterinsurgency [COIN] measures in its combat. Since 2009, Nigeria‟s authorities are caught in what can be best describe as „counterinsurgency dilemma‟ constantly navigating around series and sometimes conflicting COIN approaches to outroot the insurgency. These COIN measures includes of military and non-military measures, yet neither found ineffective as Boko Haram continue it violence with impunity. On a military front for instance, more than 100,000 members of the Nigeria‟s Army Force deployed to engage the group in conventional approach (Folade, 2016). This is number is reinforced by about 9000 regional military force „Multinational Joint Task Force‟ established by the countries of Nigeria, Chad, Niger, Cameroun and Benin Republics. On the non-military approach, options exploited include dialogue and amnesty arrangements, as well as political-legal measures of enacting counterinsurgency law and imposition of Marshall Law. Nevertheless, in spite of the concerted measures in combating the insurgent Boko Haram, growing evidence in the recent past however showed that the group continued to maintain relevance on the security landscape of Nigeria‟s state. This continues growth and sustenance has since risen concern among Nigeria‟s security stakeholders. This therefore suggest the interest to look for an alternate COIN strategy. In the academy, moreover, volumes of literature evolved explaining contending issues about the COIN campaigns of the Nigeria state, yet, less found to have offer solution on how to combat the groups‟ violence. This study aim in this lacklustre. The study hence is a policy science aim at offering new counterinsurgency pattern that will assist in combating the decade old insurgency in Nigeria. In doing this, this paper N