DECONSTRUCTING THE NEXUS: ISLAM, BOKO HARAM, AND THE POLITICIZATION OF TERRORISM IN NORTHERN NIGERIA

This study examines the complex intersection of Islam, political dynamics, and terrorism within the context of Boko Haram’s insurgency in northern Nigeria. It interrogates how religious narratives are politicized to legitimize violence, how socio-economic marginalization and state fragility interact with extremist ideologies, and how these dynamics shape Boko Haram’s emergence, transformation, and persistence. Drawing on recent empirical and conceptual scholarship, the article argues that Boko Haram’s appeal cannot be explained solely through religious or political lenses. Rather, it reflects a multifaceted nexus in which Islamic rhetoric is strategically instrumentalized to frame political grievances, mobilize recruits, and challenge state authority. The study further explores the implications of this nexus for counterterrorism policy, national cohesion, and post-conflict reconstruction in Nigeria. It concludes that sustainable responses must move beyond militarized approaches to address governance deficits, socio-economic inequalities, and ideological misrepresentations conceptual scholarship, the article argues that Boko Haram’s appeal cannot be explained solely through religious or political lenses. Rather, it reflects a multifaceted nexus in which Islamic rhetoric is strategically instrumentalized to frame political grievances, mobilize recruits, and challenge state authority. The study further explores the implications of this nexus for counterterrorism policy, national cohesion, and post-conflict reconstruction in Nigeria. It concludes that sustainable responses must move beyond militarized approaches to address governance deficits, socio-economic inequalities, and ideological misrepresentations.