1.0 Introduction
1.1 Background to the study
Since the return to democratic rule in 1999, Nigeria has witnessed series of ethno- religious and resource-based violence that have taken terror dimension and threatened its internal security.
Terrorism, either international or domestic has heightened insecurity in Nigeria. While the country was still grappling with the challenges posed by such crimes as armed robbery, murder, kidnapping and assassination, among others, then came the advent of domestic terrorism. Terrorism took a new dimension in Nigeria with the activities of terrorist groups like the Jama’atul ahlul Sunna Lidda’awa Wal Jihad, which means “Brethren of Sunni United in thePursuit of Holy War” popularly referred to as the Boko Haram, meaning ‘Western Education is forbidden’ and Jama’atu Ansarul Musilimina Fi Biladis Sudan (ANSARU) especially when they became affiliated to some notable international terrorist organizations like Al-Qaeda, Al-Qaeda in Islamic Maghreb and Al-Shaabab. They now attack with more precision, usually more devastating and rampant. This link also led to the introduction of suicide bombing, use of Improvised Explosive Devices (IED), deployment of highly sophisticated weapons and modern fighting equipment which are strange to the Nigerian military and security agents.
As a result of this development, since 2009, Nigeria's counterterrorism operations has been at a crossroad, largely due to some of the issues raised above but most importantly because policy debates on whether or not, to adopt a counter terrorism strategy in Nigeria has continued to drive.
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