Nigeria\u27s plight: The causes, crimes, and casualties of Boko Haram

This paper provides a brief history of Boko Haram including one of the group’s infamous attacks, the Nigerian government’s response to the insurgency, and whether the group has succeeded in promoting their ideals. The group has a long history of condemning Western education and encouraging an Islamic state. Since Boko Haram has been active, they have displaced thousands of Nigerians from their homes, in some cases even kidnapping them. A large kidnapping of schoolgirls from a university is one of their most notorious terrorist acts. Their motives for the kidnappings were to enforce Islam nationwide and to free their members in detention. The response to these kidnappings was international outrage, causing the Nigerian government to take action by any means necessary. This includes negotiations with the terrorist group. Boko Haram has been successful in conveying its message and ideals through the uses of terrorism