Following the abduction of the Chibok schoolgirls in 2014, Boko Haram gained notoriety as the deadliest terrorist group in the world. Where is Nigeria today in the war against terrorism?
On 14 April 2014, Boko Haram abducted more than 250 female students from their dormitories in Chibok, Borno State. Despite increased offensives by the Nigerian military, Boko Haram has continued to pose a persistent threat to Nigeria and its neighbouring states. Although the movement split into two different factions in 2016, Boko Haram and its offshoot, the Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP), have remained largely responsible for militant jihadist group activity in the Lake Chad region. Both factions’ audacious attacks on civilians and on security posts, as well as the negative spill-over effects of the groups’ activities on vulnerable populations, including children, demonstrate the groups’ flexibility and their ability to adapt to the challenging security situation resulting from over a decade of national and regional military campaigns against the group.
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