HIR 415 Assignment Question and Answers

Assignment .HIR 415 core Course
Critically Distinguish Between Terrorism and Insurgency using the Case of IPOB and Boko Haram in Nigeria
To be Submitted on Monday individually. it should be hand written . .

Answer

TERRORISM AND INSURGENCY: A CRITICAL DISTINCTION USING THE CASE OF IPOB AND BOKO HARAM IN NIGERIA

Violence and conflicts have been part of human society for many years, but not all violent groups have the same goals or operate the same way. In Nigeria, two major violent groups Boko Haram and the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) have been widely discussed. While some people use the terms terrorism and insurgency interchangeably, these two words have different meanings. The best way to understand this difference is to analyze Boko Haram and IPOB and how they operate in Nigeria.

What is Terrorism?

Terrorism is the deliberate use of violence, fear, and intimidation to achieve a political, religious, or ideological goal. The main characteristic of terrorism is that it targets civilians, public institutions, and places of economic or social importance to create widespread fear. Terrorists do not fight like regular soldiers; instead, they use bombings, kidnappings, assassinations, and mass killings to spread terror and weaken the government.

A terrorist group does not necessarily seek to control a territory like insurgents do. Instead, they use extreme violence to push their agenda, force governments to change policies, or establish their ideologies. Terrorist groups can be either local or international, and they usually operate in secrecy.

What is Insurgency?

Insurgency, on the other hand, is an organized rebellion against a government, usually with the goal of either overthrowing the government or breaking away to form a separate state. Insurgents engage in guerrilla warfare, ambushes, and attacks on security forces, but they also try to gain the support of the local population. Unlike terrorists, insurgents usually want to establish control over a particular territory where they can govern and enforce their own rules.

Insurgents sometimes use violence against civilians, but their main targets are government forces, political institutions, and infrastructure. Their ultimate goal is usually political, such as self-governance, autonomy, or regime change.

Boko Haram: A Case of Terrorism

Boko Haram is one of the deadliest terrorist groups in Africa. It was founded in 2002 by Mohammed Yusuf in Borno State, Nigeria. The group started as an Islamic movement that opposed Western education, government policies, and secularism. However, after Yusuf’s death in police custody in 2009, Boko Haram became extremely violent under the leadership of Abubakar Shekau.

Boko Haram’s ideology is based on Islamic extremism. The group believes that Nigeria should be governed strictly by Sharia law, and they reject democracy and secular governance. To push their agenda, they have carried out suicide bombings, massacres, kidnappings, and attacks on churches, mosques, and schools. One of the most notable attacks was the Chibok schoolgirls’ abduction in 2014, where over 200 girls were kidnapped and forced into marriage or slavery.

Boko Haram’s attacks are mostly directed at civilians, government institutions, and security forces, which is why they are classified as a terrorist group by Nigeria and international organizations like the United Nations (UN) and the United States. Their main weapon is terror, and their goal is not necessarily to control a particular territory but to cause destruction and force the government to bend to their demands.

IPOB: A Case of Insurgency

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) is a separatist group that was founded in 2012 by Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. The group’s main goal is to restore the defunct Republic of Biafra, which attempted to secede from Nigeria between 1967 and 1970. Unlike Boko Haram, IPOB is not driven by religious ideology but by ethnic nationalism, as they seek independence for the Igbo people.

Initially, IPOB was a peaceful movement that used protests, radio broadcasts, and international lobbying to push for a referendum on Biafra’s independence. However, over time, the group became more radicalized due to clashes with Nigerian security forces. In 2020, IPOB established the Eastern Security Network (ESN), a militia wing that was supposedly created to protect Igbo land from Fulani herdsmen. However, the Nigerian government sees ESN as an armed rebellion against the state.

IPOB and ESN have been accused of attacking police stations, security checkpoints, and government officials in the Southeast. The Nigerian government officially declared IPOB a terrorist group in 2017, but many international organizations and human rights groups see them as an insurgent group rather than terrorists because their main fight is against the government, not innocent civilians.

Key Differences Between Terrorism and Insurgency

Feature	Terrorism (Boko Haram)	Insurgency (IPOB)
Main Goal	Spread fear and enforce an ideology (Islamic extremism)	Gain independence for a region (Biafra)
Target	Civilians, government institutions, security forces	Mainly government institutions and security forces
Tactics	Bombings, kidnappings, mass killings, suicide attacks	Guerrilla warfare, targeted attacks on security forces
Territory Control	Does not aim to control a fixed territory	Aims to establish control over Southeast Nigeria
International View	Recognized globally as a terrorist group	Seen as an insurgent group by some international bodies

Conclusion

In summary, while both terrorism and insurgency involve violence, the key difference is who they target and why they fight.

Boko Haram is a terrorist group because they attack civilians, use extreme violence, and aim to spread fear to impose their ideology.

IPOB, on the other hand, is an insurgent group because they are fighting for a political cause (Biafra’s independence) and mainly target government forces.

However, the Nigerian government sees both groups as threats to national security and has classified them as terrorist organizations.

Whether IPOB is truly a terrorist group or just an insurgency remains a debate, but one thing is clear both Boko Haram and IPOB have significantly affected Nigeria’s stability, leading to loss of lives, destruction of property, and a deepening of ethnic and religious tensions.