An in-depth analysis by the researchers revealed that increasing poverty and inequality has led to the consistent violent conflict particularly in north-east Nigeria.
Presenting a study on ‘Radicalization And De-Radicalization in the North-East’, the experts gave the assurance that though Boko Haram will end, the fight is not about a group of persons or political party.
A Professor of History at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Sanni Umar, said, “It takes an average of 27 years for most insurgencies to come to an end but they do.
“You’ll remember Sierra Leone, Liberia, their crisis ended and this one will end (too) but by the average length it takes, if we say six years, that’s quite early. We pray it will not last to the average of twenty something years before it ends but it will end,” he said.
The group of research experts who undertook a research on the complex causes and processes of radicalization posited that the Boko Haram insurgency is more about the nation than a group of persons or political party.
Therefore, they believe that winning the war against terrorism is possible with the full co-operation of all Nigerians.
Professor Abdul Mustapha from the University of Oxford, UK, decried the level of inequality within the Nigerian society.
“Niger is poorer than Nigeria by any account but Niger hasn’t also gotten the level of inequalities we have – both inequalities between individuals and inequalities between communities.
“There is something about the nature of our poverty that aggravates people,” he said.
He said further noted that Nigeria deals with a “war of minds of people”, as it would be important to improve of the way families are organised and create a country where “education is provided, societies are disciplined and development takes place”.
“We are never going to return to Nigeria of yesterday but we can try to deal with the problem today and build a better country,” he said.
The battle by Nigerian troops to retake all territories controlled by the Boko Haram and generally cripple the terrorist group has intensified in the last few weeks through several collaborative efforts.
The general elections earlier scheduled to start February 14, 2015 had been postponed by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC on the recommendation of the Nigerian armed forces to enable it intensify its efforts to reclaim all territories lost and put an end to the insurgency.
Recently an audio message purportedly from an ISIS spokesman announced that a pledge of allegiance from Boko Haram has been accepted by the ISIS leader, Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi."
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