From a Religious Sect to a Terrorist Group: The Military and Boko Haram in Northeast Nigeria.

Although there are several security threats in Nigeria, the Boko Haram insurgency in the Northeast region remains the most critical security problem in the country. While previous studies have examined how unemployment, poverty, poor governance, corruption, weak judiciary system affect insecurity and the impact of exclusionary politics on insecurity in Nigeria, the role and challenges of the Nigerian military in countering the Boko Haram insurgency in Northeast Nigeria has received limited scholarly attention. This paper examines the role and challenges of the Nigerian military in countering the Boko Haram insurgency in the Northeast region of Nigeria. Using secondary data and the structural-functional theory, this study argued that the Nigerian Armed Forces face several operational, strategic, and tactical challenges in their counterinsurgency operation, including inadequate funding, inadequate and outdated weapons, the presence of a 'third force' sabotaging the war efforts and a lack of personnel motivation. These challenges undermine the capacity of the military to protect the territorial integrity of Nigeria and promote national security. This study concludes that improved funding of the military presents an opportunity for proper equipping of the armed forces, improved morale of personnel, effective countering of Boko Haram and the mitigation of insecurity in Nigeria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]