The securitisation of human rights in counterterrorism operations in Nigeria: a case study of Boko Haram in northeastern Nigeria

Nigeria has experienced several ethno-religious, political, separatist and sectarian conflicts since itsindependence in 1960. The most recent and deadly is the Boko Haram insurgency in north-easternNigeria, which has claimed thousands of lives, cost billions worth of properties and devastating economicand humanitarian crises. In response to this conflict, the Nigerian government resorted to a strictlymilitaristic approach that has attracted widespread allegations of wanton human rights violations locallyand internationally. Extrajudicial killings, torture, unlawful arrest and detention of suspects, and sexualabuses are the most common violations widely linked to the counterinsurgency operations in northeasternNigeria. The Boko Haram insurgency marked a turning point in Nigeria’s struggle against militantgroups, and the phenomenon is yet to be fully understood. The dynamic nature of the conflict poses aneven greater challenge to the government’s old-fashioned military response. Although a plethora ofanecdotal reports exist on human rights violations, most are based on secondary data from NGOs likeAmnesty International and Human Rights Watch. Empirical research on the topic is scarce, ahistoricaland fixated on already-known issues.Against this backdrop, this study examines the interplay between human rights and security and how thedemand for security and the need for human rights protection in armed conflict could be achieved.Specifically, the research investigates the nature and extent of these alleged violations by the Nigerianmilitary and their impact on the civilian population within the context of International Relations andRegime. Thus, using a case study design and a qualitative research methodology, primary data on theencounters between the Nigerian military and civilians in the conflict was collected and evidence of theseviolations was documented and analysed. The coercive counterterrorism approach is ineffective andexacerbates and escalates the conflict. Thus, alternative human rights-compliant counterterrorismapproaches such as intelligence gathering, dialogue and community policing are identified. Thedecolonisation of terrorism research from its current Westernised state to a more diverse, multidimensional,and transnational field is also proposed to promote ideas advanced by African-basedscholars such as myself in dealing with terrorism in Africa, i.e., an African solution, by African scholars,for Africa’s terrorism challenges.