The public, military and boko haram: a criminological diagnosing

Author: 
Dr. Baba Gana Kolo

Whatever it is, Crime takes from law (either written or unwritten) and qualified by existence of application of punishment for an act defined so by a group concerned. And public is a group of people who, in facing a similar problem, recognize it and organize themselves to address it. The military on the other hand is generally consisting of an Army, Navy, Air force, and in certain countries the Marines and Coast Guard are forces authorized to use lethal or deadly force and weapons to support the interest of the state and some or all of its citizens. The task of the state is usually defined as defense of the state, and its citizens, and the prosecution of war against another state. The military may also have additional sanctioned and non-sanctioned functions within a society, including, the promotion of a political agenda, protecting corporate economic interests, internal population control, construction, emergency services, social ceremonies, and guarding important areas. The profession of soldiering as part of a military is older than recorded history itself. Boko Haram is a group so labeled at the peak of the 2009 riot declared by Mohammed Yusuf a young preacher who seems to be an Arabic and Islamic scholar determined to practice and implement what to his understanding the true practice of the religion islam. A good proportion of Borno state youth and beyond has already been idealistically and so dogmatically chained into the component parts of Boko Haram activitism. The public is the society or the larger population from which the military was extracted and the Boko Haram split out as a radical group of terrorist. The emergence of Boko Haram terrorist group in the North East is a testimony that Nigeria is underdeveloped. The public is central and it is formed of structure and institutions. Significantly level of economic advancement dictates other institutional manifestations, particularly the educational and religious institutions. The main determinant of Boko Haram’s emergence and its perpetration unfortunately is the institution of religion. Religion according to Karl Marx is a demoralizing catalyst in process of sustainable development in human societies. It is highly disturbing that more than half of the school age children are outside school and particularly more than 70% of Borno State areas affected by Boko Haram terrorism are already victims of displacement and forceful rejection from school from 2014 to date. The public has been apparently deceived of the general facts on grounds of the ills created by the proclaimed and accepted sangaya/Islamic education as a system. A closer focus will reveal that sangaya/Islamic education was characterized by all forms of abuses, such as exploitation, inequality, stratification, injustice and mockery. And few recommendations are made. Stakeholders must refocus to ensure the full scale and continuous implementation of the 1999 constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria. Thus accordingly; section18 • Government shall direct its policy towards ensuring that there are equal and adequate educational opportunities at all levels, (2) Government shall promote science and technology, (3) Government shall strive to eradicate illiteracy and to this end Government shall as and when practicable provide (a) Free, compulsory and universal primary education (b) Free university education, and (c) Free adult literacy program. Section 15(5) the state shall abolish all corrupt practices and abuse of power.

Paper No: 
3070