Law - Criminal Writing Assignment

Saleem 2

Aden Saleem

CONF 345-DL1

Spring 2024

Individuals Involved

Boko Haram

There are several theories and ideologies as to why people join terrorist groups. Such as psychological theories, religious theories, political, social, etc. Radicalization also holds importance in this case, The term "radicalization" refers to a range of inclinations and susceptibilities that indicate whether a person is leaning toward or away from becoming involved in terrorism. “Violent radicalization is very much a developmental process whereby people progressively become more committed to engaging in violence, generally agree that there are degrees of radicalization beginning with sympathizers to people who are active members of a terrorist organization. However, there is debate about the process of radicalization and how various risk factors interact with one another” (Scull, Alkhadher, Alawadi, 2020). Moreover, according to the article radicalization contains three ingredients, motivational element, ideology, and social process. In terms of the motivating element, there are various reasons why someone can want to engage in terrorism, such as those that are material, thrill-seeking, status- or identity-related, or motivated by a want for revenge.

To understand why people, join terrorist organizations in depth, a study was conducted on terrorist group members in prison in Kuwait. These prisoners came from different backgrounds and were interviewed by professional researchers and the results revealed five main contributing factors, first was religious identity development, which means most of the participants had very little knowledge of the actual teachings of Islam and were more emotionally thinking regarding religion while joining the terrorist organization. The second was personal connections, most joined by making friends from Al-Qaeda while going to the mosque every day, some were forced by relatives. Thirdly, the factor was propaganda. All participants were heavily influenced by various forms of media, mostly online. They were influenced by social media, blogs, YouTube, and news reports. After interviewing all the participants, it was clear that “all participants were highly influenced by online media propaganda” (Scull, Alkhadher, Alawadi, 2020). The fourth reason was defending Islam and the fifth was social marginalization. Social marginalization included low levels of education. The lower level of education was also observed in another research study conducted in Turkey. It stated “When levels of education are observed, it is seen that the vast majority of organizational members (72 percent) received an education equivalent to or lower than primary school. High school graduates number some 16 percent. The remaining 12 percent consists of individuals who have graduated from a 4-year or 2-year undergraduate program or those who dropped out of university education at different stages” (Ozeren, Yilmaz, Sever, Sozer, 2014).

The studies mentioned above give an idea of the background of people who join terrorist groups or how the terrorist groups approach people, the question is does Boko Haram have the same pattern? An article written by Babatunde gives a good idea of what type of individuals Boko Haram recruits. The simple answer is every type, as the article mentions “Male and female, rich and poor, young and old as well as the employed and unemployed have been recruited through teaching, preaching, propaganda, inducement, abduction, coercion, and foreign support” (Babatunde, 2018). Furthermore, explained in the article is how Mohammed Yusuf, the group's founder, was instrumental in drawing adherents with his charismatic leadership. In addition to opposing social inequalities, he pushed for the implementation of Sharia law and a rigid interpretation of Islam. This message resonated with some fundamentalists and marginalized individuals disillusioned with the status quo.

In addition, Boko Haram recruited members using peer pressure, financial incentives, kinship links, and violence. Additionally, the group recruited foreign fighters, often from neighboring countries such as Chad and Cameroon. People from Chad and Cameroon were lured into the group because of money. “Money was the attraction for these foreign fighters” (Babatunde, 2018).

Most of the people were forcefully recruited by groups as they were kidnapped or were given threats if they didn’t join the group, as the article mentions “threats and brutalities made recruits stick to the sect and maintain their loyalty. Some pledged their allegiance for safety. For example, to avoid persecution, a youth in Bama joined and had his family’s house spared when the group ransacked an army barrack in the town” (Babatunde, 2018).

Reportedly, using women for the operations is a trademark of Boko haram “A different tactic of Boko Haram, which had actually become a trademark of this group, was the use of women in terrorist actions” (Pricopi, 2016). According to another article Boko Haram's exploitation of women began in Maiduguri in June 2013 as retaliation for the government's arrest of its members' wives in 2012. Women, mainly from rural areas in Northeast Nigeria and spanning different religious backgrounds, have been both victims and perpetrators of Boko Haram's violence. They carried out attacks both within and outside Borno State. The group's peak in female recruitment occurred with the abduction of 276 schoolgirls aged 12 to 17 from Chibok village in 2014. Due to the factionalization of Boko Haram brought about by this increase in female involvement, the Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) was established in 2016 under the leadership of Abu Musab al-Barnawi.

Boko Haram's brutality has continued despite government efforts to stop it, including the declaration of emergency zones and military operations. To effectively address the underlying causes of extremism in Nigeria, comprehensive methods are needed, including those that disarm vigilante groups, promote education, foster interfaith dialogue, build community resilience, address structural problems, and run media campaigns that prevent radicalization and recruiting.

Reference

Babatunde, O. A. (2018). The Recruitment Mode of the Boko Haram Terrorist Group in Nigeria.  Peace Review,  30(3), 382–389. https://doi-org.mutex.gmu.edu/10.1080/10402659.2018.1496998

Oluwaniyi, O. O. (2021). Why are women victims or perpetrators in Nigeria’s Boko Haram? Recruitment, roles and implications.  Journal of Contemporary African Studies,  39(3), 454–469. https://doi-org.mutex.gmu.edu/10.1080/02589001.2020.1849580

Özeren, S., Sever, M., Yilmaz, K., & Sözer, A. (2014). Whom Do They Recruit?: Profiling and Recruitment in the PKK/KCK.  Studies in Conflict & Terrorism,  37(4), 322–347. https://doi-org.mutex.gmu.edu/10.1080/1057610X.2014.879381

Scull, N. C., Alkhadher, O., & Alawadi, S. (2020). Why people join terrorist groups in Kuwait: A qualitative examination.  Political Psychology,  41(2), 231-247.