Terrorism, Insurgency and Islamism: A Trio-human Disaster in Nigeria

International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume V, Issue VIII, August 2021 | ISSN 2454–6186

Terrorism, Insurgency and Islamism: A Trio-human Disaster in Nigeria

Prof. Thomas Tanko Shut & Vrenzak James Dawap
Plateau State University (PLASU), Department of Political Science, Bokkos, Plateau State, Nigeria

Abstract: We examine whether the relationship between terrorism, insurgency and Islamism do not share or support one another in their expression of violent development. We find that when comparing their strategies and methods, they have a meeting point in political, economic and religious platform. In this paper, we present cogent reasons that represent these three terms as having causal and historical eventualities that are repetitive and suggestive of a trio-human destructive activity that largely caused the down-turn in economic development in Nigeria. Collectively, our findings show evidence of political and non-political factors related to the trio virus above that slow the pace of economic development in Nigeria, especially in the last three decades.

Keywords: Boko Haram & Insurgency, Islamism and Terrorism.

I. INTRODUCTION

Violence against Nigerians expressed in economic, political and religious colorations has not only slowed economic development in Nigeria but has triggered further self-inflicted economic injury that has destroyed property and relationship, manifested in displaced people, denied opportunities of livelihood and compounded by the recent pain of recession through self –inflicted activities perpetrated by groups we have identified as terrorist, insurgents and extreme Islamist.
We cannot discuss the challenges to the collective existence and economic development of Nigeria without attempting an operational definition of the three interrelated activities of terrorist, insurgents and Islamic extremists that has heightened tension in the country. Hence, by definition terrorists maybe concerned with regime change, reallocation of power, or challenging existing social orders. While, doctrine identifies insurgency as the violent arm of a given resistance movement—centers on attacking regimes. On the other hand, “Islamist is a term increasingly used, including by Muslims, for those who seek to make Islam into a politics and a political movement….” (David Selbourne 2005:13).

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