TERRORIST VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND GIRLS IN NIGERIA BY NON-STATE ACTORS: A STUDY OF STATE COMPLICITY AND NEGLECT

In spite of official claims by Nigeria of tackling the problem of gender-based violence, there is a glaring spectacle of state neglect of female victims and survivors of horrendous atrocities perpetrated by extremist groups within its borders. The government neither recognizes their trauma and travails nor does it have any policy/program to grant them justice, or for their treatment, restoration, rehabilitation and reintegration. Rather government’s sympathy leans toward the evil terrorists who they protect from facing justice for their crimes through an ill conceived program of de-radicalization, rehabilitation, compensation and re-integration. It is against this background this paper investigates terrorist violence against women and girls and the way government actions encourage terrorists rather than bring succor to their victims. The paper identifies the crimes of the terrorists and why government frames policies that shuns suffering victims to reward the terrorists. Failed state theory is the framework on which the paper is anchored and it relies on content analysis of secondary data obtained from newspapers, journal articles, books, social media and the internet The study reveals the uncomfortable truth that the terror groups were formed by powerful people in northern Nigeria who also use their presence and influence in positions of power to work for their sustenance. . The paper recommends immediate scrapping of all policies/programs designed to reward terrorist;.and the bringing of all captured or surrendered members of the groups, their sponsors and supporters to account for their atrocities against women and girls, before our courts. The paper further recommends that government set up appropriate programs and agencies across the states for the restoration, rehabilitation, empowerment and re-integration of female survivors of terror; that government should clear terrorists from all illegally occupied lands and communities and restore the displaced original owners to their inheritance and that government make religion a personal issue, remove all references to religion from the constitution and restore the rule of law, justice and equity throughout the territory of Nigeria.