Public perception of the civil-military and human rights abuses in North-Eastern Nigeria

This article explores public attitudes towards civil-military relations and human rights violations in northeastern Nigeria, a region badly afflicted by the ongoing insurgency and conflict involving Boko Haram and other armed groups. This research may cover such aspects as the perception of local communities on Nigerian military and counterinsurgency operations, human rights implications of military actions and civil-military relations or trust between civilian volunteers and armed forces. Recognizing the tension that exists between national security and citizens' rights, this article discusses some of the core issues — military deployments to civilian areas with a focus on deaths of civilians, internal displacement of civilians, arbitrary arrests and several other allegations surrounding these violations of human rights. This paper reflects perspectives from various stakeholders — local civilians, internally displaced persons (IDPs), human rights organizations and armed forces personnel. It is inarguable that military presence is needed for security, yet there are fears over the heavy-handed elements of UNSCR 1973 which often increase civilian suffering. This paper adopts a form-oriented theory of structural functionalism, which suggested that social phenomena belong to a domain – or level – of existence separate from psychical and biological facts using qualitative approach. From this perspective, the paper concludes its discussion by contributing to our understanding of the broader consequences of civil-military relations in zones of armed substitute and develop brazen intercontinental policy reform that promotes human right, accountability and community involvement. It is a new way of planning military operations; one that recognizes that while there are legitimate security needs, it should not come at the expense of providing citizens with their fundamental rights and freedoms, creating opportunities for better trust and collaboration between communities in northeastern Nigeria and the state.