Boko Haram: Leitmotif for Indiscriminate Killing of Human Beings

Abstract

Like so many philosophers of all times, Aristotle (Rhetoric, Bk. 1: Ch. 5) upheld the view that a good thing can be defined as that which ought to be chosen for its own sake; or as that for the sake of which is sought after by all things, or by all things that have sensation or reason. The issue of the leitmotif of the indiscriminate wasting of human life in the society by various insurgent groups, acting most times in the name of religion, has become a burning issue.  In Nigeria, Boko Haram has been at the centre stage of this kind of ideological homicide, fratricide, or even genocide for more than five years (2009-2015). It is the aim of the paper to examine the purported reasons adduced by the protagonists of the insurgency and make recommendations for a way forward.

Keywords: Boko Haram, Independence, Agitations, United Nations.