Excerpt
2
Introduction
The activities of the Boko Haram sects in Nigeria have negatively affected the
Nigerian society. The socio-economic, political and religious aspects of the Nigerian
society have a lot due to the activities of the Boko Haram sects especially in the northern
parts of Nigeria. The Bishop of Kaduna Diocese of the Church of Nigeria, Anglican
Communion, Rev. Josiah Idowu-Fearon, observed that violence and insurgency has
destroyed the economic, social and religious lives of the people of Kaduna State. This
can also be said of all the Boko Haram stricken states in northern Nigeria. He pointed
out that "The entire North-east of the country, Jos and Kano are almost completely
isolated economically, socially and politically..."
1
This essay outlined and discussed some of the impacts of the Boko Haram sects
on both the Church and the society in Nigeria.
The Social Impact of Boko Haram on the Church and Society
Social gatherings and activities are banned or cancelled due to fear of attacks
either with guns/machetes or with bombs. People move in the Boko Haram controlled
and/or stricken areas with fear of being attacked any time anywhere. Boko Haram
activities have made "suspicious and rumour of attack [a]s the easiest information to
spread within North-Eastern Zone of Nigeria."
2
The Durbar festival in Kano for example
was cancelled in 2012 because of the security challenge posed by the Boko Haram sect.
The educational level of the Boko Haram stricken states has dropped drastically
as many students have been kidnapped, tortured, raped and even murdered while in
school or on their way to school, and many schools have been destroyed. This has led to
a high number of school drops out in the northern states. N.I.O &D.L-B observed that
the Boko Haram menace has led to an "increase of destitution in some parts of Nigeria
1
Olaide Aro, Boko Haram Insurgency in Nigeria: Its Implication and Way Forwards Toward
Avoidance Of Future Insurgency. Accessed on Friday 23 October, 2015. Online-
https://www.academia.edu/3559251/boko_haram_insurgency_in_nigeria_its_implication_and_way_f
orwards_toward_avoidance_of_future_insurgency
2
Aro, Boko Haram Insurgency in Nigeria: Its Implication and Way Forwards Toward Avoidance
Of Future Insurgency.
Accessed on Friday 23 October, 2015. Online-
https://www.academia.edu/3559251/boko_haram_insurgency_in_nigeria_its_implication_and_way_f
orwards_toward_avoidance_of_future_insurgency
3
and the closure of many schools in Borno and Yobe states."
3
This has delayed the
promotion and graduation of many students in schools.
The population of the Boko Haram stricken states has drastically reduced due to
deaths and migration. The standard of living of these states has also been affected
because of the closure of many business premises and the difficulty of accessing farm
produce. N.I.O &D.L-B again observed that "another serious consequence of this
problem is its effect on the population of Borno and Yobe states. Life in northern Nigeria
is no longer the way it used to be and this is truly sad."
4
Relaxation spots, tourist sites, hotels and social events centers have witnessed
low patronage, the cost of rented apartments has also drastically reduced, and in some
areas, many apartments are vacant without occupants, all these are as the results of the
Boko Haram insurgency. N.I.O &D.L-B observed that "hanging out in restaurants or
drinking pubs is almost history now. For the first time in many years, there are vacant
apartments and offices in many northern cities. The cost of real estate has hit an all-time
low and things may continue this way for a while. The situation is really sad and
something needs to be done to rescue the land."
5
The Boko Haram activities have shattered many people's lives. The number of
widows, orphans and the fatherless has risen to a high rate. Many survivors of Boko
Haram attacks are facing psychological trauma, homelessness, etc. Iro Dan Fulani
reported that the Christian leaders of the north-east of Nigeria noted that "human tragedy
and the emotional trauma created by the insurgency is beyond human imagination as
hundreds of thousands of Internally Displaced Persons who are completely cut off from
their ancestral homes and relations are now taking refuge in the Cameroons and the
surrounding mountains"
6
3
N.I.O & D.L-B, Boko Haram: Between Myth and Reality. N.p, n.d, page 31.
4
N.I.O & D.L-B, Boko Haram: Between Myth and Reality. N.p, n.d, page 31.
5
N.I.O & D.L-B, Boko Haram: Between Myth and Reality. N.p, n.d, page 32.
6
Iro Dan Fulani, Boko Haram: Suspend all political activities, Christian leaders tell Jonathan,
others. November 11, 2014
. Accessed on Friday 23 October, 2015. Online-
http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/170999-boko-haram-suspend-all-political-activities-
christian-leaders-tell-jonathan-others.html
4
The Political Impact of Boko Haram on the Church and Society
Boko Haram insurgency has posed a great security challenge to Nigeria as a
nation. This has affected many Nigerians from exercising their rights of freedom of
movement all over the country. Olaide Aro In the International Journal of Scientific and
Research Publications, Volume 3, Issue 11, November 2013 3 ISSN 2250-3153
www.ijsrp.org
,
stated that-
The insurgency of Boko Haram in Nigeria have posed serious security challenges
to Nigeria in the sense that people were been denied the choice of exercising their
natural freedom of movement due to fear of attack from members of Boko
Haram. Particularly in some parts of Northern Nigeria where Boko Haram have
taken over through planting of bombs as well as brutalized attack on innocent
souls.
7
As the result of the above challenge, people from the Southern part of Nigeria are
afraid to move to the northern part of Nigeria for fear of being killed by the insurgents.
The people from the northern part of Nigeria on the other hand are afraid to move to the
southern part of Nigeria for fear of being molested and suspected as Boko Haram
terrorists.
Boko Haram insurgency has also led to the unleashing of terror on the masses by
other terrorist, lawless groups and other aggrieved persons or groups. The activities of
these other groups are manifested in the areas of brutalized killings, wanton destruction
of lives and properties and kidnappings carried out by other groups in the name of Boko
Haram. In view of the above,
Aro
quoted the report of the Nation Newspaper that in view
of the Boko Haram activities in Northern Nigeria,
Some groups have been using the privilege of existence of Boko Haram to nurse
their personal and ethnical agenda through brutalizing of people. Corroborating
this, one of Boko Haram Leader; Sheikh Abu Mohammed Abdulazeez Ibn Idris
stated that the group is aware of the fact that some criminals have infiltrated their
7
Aro, Olaide Boko Haram Insurgency in Nigeria: Its Implication and Way Forwards Toward
Avoidance Of Future Insurgency. Accessed on Friday 23 October, 2015. Online-
https://www.academia.edu/3559251/boko_haram_insurgency_in_nigeria_its_implication_and_way_forwa
rds_toward_avoidance_of_future_insurgency
5
movement and continued to attack and kill people using their names (The Nation
Newspaper, 2013: 3)."
8
Because of the Boko Haram insurgency, a Joint Task Force (JTF) of the Army,
Air force, Navy, Mobile Police and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corp
(NSCDC) were set up to insure the security of lives and properties in virtually all the
states in northern Nigeria. The state governments of these states spend huge sums of
money that could have been used for the development of these states to maintain and pay
the allowances of the offices of the Joint Task Force (JTF).
The Boko Haram activities have affected the performances of government and
the delivering of the dividends of democracy to the people in the Boko Haram affected
areas. Public assemblage has been banned from the Boko Haram stricken areas which
affected many political activities. Many political leaders found it difficult to fulfill their
campaign promises to the people. For example, it was observed that President Goodluck
Jonathan was not able to "fulfill the larger parts of his promise due to confusion created
in the Nation by insurgence of Boko Haram."
9
The Boko Haram activities have affected the postings of people from other parts
of Nigeria to northern part of Nigeria for official functions and services. This is evident
in the fact that many non-indigenes of the Boko Haram stricken states have rejected
being posted to the north-eastern part of the country for official assignments due to fear
of being kidnapped, molested or killed. An example of this is many Nigerian graduates
serving the Nation under the scheme of National Youth Service Corp (NYSC)
10
either
reject being posted to some part of Northern Nigeria or seek for relocation to other states
that has relative peace. In the case of Plateau State
11
for example, in the wake of the Jos
8
Aro, Boko Haram Insurgency in Nigeria: Its Implication and Way Forwards Toward Avoidance
Of Future Insurgency.
Accessed on Friday 23 October, 2015. Online-
https://www.academia.edu/3559251/boko_haram_insurgency_in_nigeria_its_implication_and_way_f
orwards_toward_avoidance_of_future_insurgency
9
Aro, Boko Haram Insurgency in Nigeria: Its Implication and Way Forwards Toward Avoidance
Of Future Insurgency.
Accessed on Friday 23 October, 2015. Online-
https://www.academia.edu/3559251/boko_haram_insurgency_in_nigeria_its_implication_and_way_f
orwards_toward_avoidance_of_future_insurgency
10
National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) is a scheme established by the federal government of
Nigeria in 1975 as a post-civil war strategy to promote integration and peaceful co-existence. This scheme
requires every graduate of a degree program from both the public and private universities, polytechnics,
monotecnics and degree awarding institutions to serve his/her nation for one year in a different State or
geo-political region as the case may be.
11
Plateau State is not part of the North-Eastern States of Nigeria, it is a state in the North-Central
region of Nigeria, but was also severely hit by the Boko Haram insurgency.
6
bombings, many graduates posted to plateau state for the NYSC sought for relocation
based on security challenge.
The Diplomatic Relationship of Nigeria with many other nations both in Africa
and on other continents have greatly been affected by the Boko Haram insurgency. Many
international investors have closed down their businesses; others temporarily suspended
their activities in Nigeria, while others have relocated completely to other neighboring
countries. Many Nigerians are molested and pass through series of checks at the borders
and international airports of other countries. Other countries deny Nigerians access to
their countries, others closed down their borders completely for anything that comes
from Nigeria. Some countries ordered their nationals out of Nigeria. Aro pointed out that
it has been observed that a "few years ago, United State of America warned her nationals
not to go to some State in Nigeria without forgetting that United Nation have once
include Nigeria in watching list of terrorist in the World which was later removed."
12
The Religious Impact of Boko Haram on the Church and Society
The Boko Haram attacks on Churches have made many Christians in the north-
eastern part of Nigeria to shown Hebrews 10:25 which states that "you should not stay
away from the Church meetings, as some are doing, but you should meet together and
encourage each other. Do this even more as you see the day coming." New Century
Version. Many people prefer to be at home with their families where they believe there
is relative peace and safety than to go to the Church when they know the Church is the
target of the insurgents. Bishop Josiah Idowu-Fearon, of Kaduna Diocese of the
Anglican Communion observed in his speech during the first session of the 19th Synod
of the Anglican Church in Kaduna in 2012, that a "significant number of Church
members prefer to stay within the safety of their homes rather than coming to Churches
and be bombed to death."
13
12
Aro, Boko Haram Insurgency in Nigeria: Its Implication and Way Forwards Toward Avoidance
Of Future Insurgency.
Accessed on Friday 23 October, 2015. Online-
https://www.academia.edu/3559251/boko_haram_insurgency_in_nigeria_its_implication_and_way_f
orwards_toward_avoidance_of_future_insurgency
13
John Shiklam, How Boko Haram Activities Destroy Economy of the North, (This Day
Newspaper Online 20 Aug 2012). Accessed on Friday 23 October, 2015. Online-
http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/how-boko-haram-activities-destroy-economy-of-the-
north/122763/Top of Form. Friday 23 October, 2015 Updated 9:48
Excerpt out of 15 pages
- Quote paper
- Longji Ayuba Dachal (Author), 2015, The Impact of Boko Haram on Church and Society in Nigeria, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/388005
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