Mustafa Ibrahim Alhaji and Ezeamaka Cyril Kanayochukwu, AJGRR, 2019; 2:13

Research Article AJGRR (2019) 2:13

American Journal of Geographical Research and Reviews (ISSN:2577-4433)

ANALYSIS OF INSURGENCY ACTIVITES IN NORTH EASTERN : A GEOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION SYSTEM APPROACH Mustafa, Ibrahim Alhaji and Ezeamaka Cyril Kanayochukwu

Department of Geography, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Nigerian Defence Academy Kaduna, Nigeria ABSTRACT

Over the years, Nigeria as a Nation has been witnessing serious *Correspondence to Author: unrest characterized by the ethnic, political, farmer’s-herder’s Ezeamaka Cyril Kanayochukwu conflict and activities of the insurgency. The north eastern geo- Department of Geography, Faculty political zone of Nigeria was not left out of the activities. The of Arts and Social Sciences, Nige- activities of the Boko Haram insurgents has led to over ten rian Defence Academy Kaduna, thousand people losing their life and properties making many Nigeria homeless. The paper is aimed at providing a comprehensive data and show the spatial distribution of activities of in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe States between 2009 and 2017. The paper utilizes secondary data from Armed Conflict How to cite this article: Data (ACLED), printed materials, newspaper records, journals, Kajaria Divya. Management of Post and security agencies records. The method of analysis utilized Bilateral Pontine Haemorrhage in the study is Geographical Information System (GIS) approach with Ayurveda. American Journal using ArcGIS software and graphs to indicate the activities of of Geographical Research and Re- the insurgency. The finding of the research shows that Borno views, 2019; 2:13. State has the highest occurrence of insurgency and recorded the lowest. The study concludes that the activities of the insurgents are more at the northern part and along the international boundaries. eSciPub LLC, Houston, TX USA. Keywords: Insurgency, Boko Haram, North-eastern Nigeria, Website: https://escipub.com/ Geographical Information System (GIS).

AJGRR: https://escipub.com/american-journal-of-geographical-research-and-reviews/ 1 Mustafa Ibrahim Alhaji and Ezeamaka Cyril Kanayochukwu, AJGRR, 2019; 2:13 Introduction political resources and violence to destroy, reformulate, or sustain the basis of one or more Conflict and violence have been a long- aspects of politics. Insurgents have the established aspect within political geography “nihilistic goal of ensuring the government which has made geographers researching on cannot function. Hammes (2006) noted that it’s the aspect of violence and conflict, including easier to achieve insurgents’ goal than insurgencies. These are intrinsically governing, as it is easier and more direct to use geographical as they occur in a particular place military power than to apply political, economic and across geographical territory. and social techniques. While the insurgents can Nigeria has been battling with many forms of use violence to delegitimize a government, conflict and violence which include political, simple application of violence by the ethnic and religious violence, militancy, cattle government cannot restore that legitimacy. rustling, farmer’s-herders’ conflict. The Insurgency is further seen as an organized use commonest is the Boko Haram insurgency of subversion and violence to seize, nullify or most especially in the North eastern part of the challenge political control of a region. As such, country. Boko Haram is a Hausa name it is primarily a political struggle, in which both meaning “Western education is forbidden”. This sides use armed force to create space for their group is regarded as a controversial extremist political, economic and influence activities to be Islamic group that seeks to impose Sharia law effective (Blanchard, 2014). Insurgency is not in the northern part of Nigeria (Murtada, 2013). always conducted by a single group with a The sect emanated from an orthodox teaching centralized, military-style command structure, slightly resembling that of Taliban in Afganistan but may involve a complex matrix of different and Pakistan. It considers anything western as actors with various aims, loosely connected in an aberration or completely un-Islamic. dynamic and non-hierarchical networks. To be The sect believes that Western education is the successful, insurgencies require charismatic cause of corruption, inequality and injustice leadership, supporters, recruits, supplies, safe bedeviling the society and must be forbidden havens and funding (often from illicit activities). (Akubor, 2011; Bamigbose, 2011; Nwanegbo Mustapha, Ummu and Mohammad (2018) and Odigbo, 2013). However, the attitude of defined it as organized movement that has the Boko Haram on Western education is aim of overthrowing a constituted government hypocritical as most of their activities reveal that through subversive means and armed conflict). the sect is not completely focused with regard This definition suggests that insurgent groups to Western education and technology. This is in employ unlawful means towards achieving an view of the modern technological resources it end, which could be political, religious, social or employs in the conduct of its deadly activities; it even ideological. The goal of insurgency is to must have close affinity with those whose confront and overthrow an existing government educational attainment is very high (Sani, for the control of power, resources or for power 2011). sharing (Siegel, 2007). Insurgency as a social science concept has Insurgents seek to subvert or displace the been given many conceptions. Essentially, government and completely or partially control however, insurgency is one element of the the resources and population of a given spectrum of political violence (O’Neill, 1990; territory. They do so through the use of force Hammes, 2006; Reed, 2007). O’Neill (1990) (guerrilla warfare, terrorism and defined insurgency as a struggle between a coercion/intimidation), propaganda, subversion non-ruling group and the ruling authorities in and political mobilization (UNPD, 2017). which the non-ruling group consciously uses Insurgents fight government forces only to the

AJGRR: https://escipub.com/american-journal-of-geographical-research-and-reviews/ 2 Mustafa Ibrahim Alhaji and Ezeamaka Cyril Kanayochukwu, AJGRR, 2019;2:13 extent needed to achieve their political aims: the use of Geographic Information System their main effort is not to kill counterinsurgents, (GIS) analysis in the understanding of the but rather to establish a competitive system of spread of Boko Haram insurgency. control over the population, making it GIS is a computer-based database used to impossible for the government to administer its store, integrate in layers and display data of a territory and people. Insurgent activity is geographical nature. It has a widespread use in therefore designed to weaken government the area of ecological monitoring and control and legitimacy while increasing environmental planning. Nowadays, GIS is insurgent control and influence (Mustapha, used for many purposes including insurgency Ummu and Mohammad, 2018). mapping, crime control conflict location and The activities of the sect came into limelight in spread. Jiawei (2003) defined GIS as a 2002 when it first operated in Kanama, Yobe relational database capable of manipulating State and also in Gwoza, Borno State both spatial data (in the form of digitized maps) (Nwanegbo and Odigbo, 2013). However, its and attributes data (comprising data sets in the origin is traced to 1995 when it started as form of alfa-numerical records). Sadiya, et al. ‘Sahaba’ Islamic association (Sani, 2011), (2016) revealed that GIS as a hardware, which suggests that prior to 2009, the sect software and procedures collectively supporting operated as a non-violent organization. It is the collection, input, storage, retrieval, believed that it embraced violence as its manipulation, transformation, analysis and “weapon of martyrdom (Nwozor, 2013) when presentation of geo-referenced objects and field some of its members were killed in July 2009 data. and the death of its leader, Muhammad Yusuf, The location, distribution and management of in the police custody under a questionable insurgency activities is very complex and circumstance (Bamigbose, 2011; Sani, 2011; requires a systematic and structured Nwozor, 2013; UNPD, 2017). Since then, the methodology that will allow a comprehensive sect’s dastardly attacks become intensified, not analysis of its activities, locations and only in the North East, but in the North West, comparism. Advances in the areas of north Central and the Federal Capital Territory, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Abuja. Its trend has attained a more other information technology such as remote sophisticated, deadly, dangerous and sensing (RS) and Global Positioning System international dimension, most especially in the (GPS) have opened a new set of opportunities last four years (Goyei, 2018; UNPD, 2017; for use in mapping of insurgency, its spread Smith, 2014). both in spatial and temporal (Brown et al., The activities of the sect especially since 2009 (2004) studied the spatial forecast methods for have concentrated mostly in the North eastern terrorist events in urban environments in Iraq. region of Nigeria with Borno State mostly hit The study used GIS to analysis the spread of with every day report of the activity (Mustafa insurgency activities and show the spatial and Helda, 2017). The nature of their distribution of where insurgency occurred. reprehensible acts includes bombings (suicide), Chainey and Ratcliffe (2005) studied GIS and kidnapping of innocent people especially crime mapping in Pakistan integrating of GPS women and students (like the Chibok girls and GIS for identifying where insurgency kidnapped in 2014 and the Dapchi girls in occurred and the impact of insurgency on the February, 2018), shooting victims at close environment. ranges, throat-slitting and day light and Since the emergence of Boko Haram nocturnal attacks (The Nation, 2014; Mustafa insurgency in the North Eastern Nigeria it has and Helda, 2017). This scenario has called for created a security challenges within the region. AJGRR: https://escipub.com/american-journal-of-geographical-research-and-reviews/ 3 Mustafa Ibrahim Alhaji and Ezeamaka Cyril Kanayochukwu, AJGRR, 2019;2:13 There seem to be inadequate information on Materials and methods their activities and the spatial spread within the Study Area region. This has caused more life’s been lost The study is conducted in Adamawa, Borno and properties destroyed, and increasing the and Yobe States in North eastern geo-political number of Internal Displaced Person within the zone of Nigeria, which is located between region. It is against this background that the Latitudes 06°00´00´´N and 14°00´00´´N of the paper is conducted in order to employ Equator and Longitudes 10°00´00´´E and Geographical Information System (GIS) in the 14°00´00´´E of the Greenwich Meridian as analysis of the spatial spread of insurgency shown in Figure 1. It shares international activities from 2009 to 2017 in North Eastern boundaries with Niger Republic to the North, region of Nigeria. In doing that the study will Republic of Chad to the North East and provide an up to date data on the occurrence of Cameroun to the East. The study area shares Boko Haram, secondly, will show the spatial internal boundaries with Jigawa, Bauchi, spread of the insurgency activities, thirdly, will Gombe and Taraba States to the west. It has a compare the activities based on state within the total land mass of about 153,317 Km2 (Rayar, time frame, and lastly provide recommendation 1996) and 65 Local Government Areas. (Figure for further studies. 1.).

Figure 1: Map of Nigeria showing the study area Source: Department of Geography, NDA, Kaduna

Method eastern geo-political zone of Nigeria. The study The study used purposive sampling to select utilizes documented data from Armed Conflict three states out of the six states in the North Data (ACLED), Security agencies and AJGRR: https://escipub.com/american-journal-of-geographical-research-and-reviews/ 4 Mustafa Ibrahim Alhaji and Ezeamaka Cyril Kanayochukwu, AJGRR, 2019;2:13 newspaper records as well as published studies 2009-2017 were analyzed to show the annual to investigate the activities of Boko Haram in spatial pattern for each as well as comparism Adamawa, Borno and Yobe States. The spatial was made using chropleth mapping and line data considered are names of Local graph. Government Areas (LGAs) where insurgency Results and Discussion activities occurred and the number recorded The result reveals that 1,905 incidences of the within the period considered in the study. These insurgency were carried in the three states served as the geometry and attribute data. The between 2009 to 2017. The result also shows data considered in the study was incorporated that Borno State have the highest number of into a GIS environment which was done to insurgency attack (77%) and with two third with allow different layers of data shape files to be all the LGAs in the state have experienced at a overlaid. In order to have a clear data for each incidence. However, the case is different in layer of information in a GIS format, it has to be both Adamawa and Yobe States where only stored in the same geographical projected and few LGA’s experienced the incidence. The co-ordinate system. Therefore, all data involved result further reveals that for the spatial was stored in different shape files of same distribution of the insurgency activities is more geographical coordinate system. ArcCatalog attacks in the northern and central part of the was used to structure and prepare data for this region as shown in Figure 2. This is in study where data was transformed to WGS agreement with the finding of Goyei (2018) that 1984 UTM Zone 33N (SRID 32633) and Boko Haram Attack s has caused the North imported into a single file geo-database. The east region of Nigeria great insecurity. This data set for the study area Adamawa, Borno outcome might the result of the insurgency and Yobe States of Nigeria. The incidences of becoming a transnational activity as reported by Boko Haram attacks on a state basis from UNDP (2018) and Goyei (2017).

Figure 2: Spatial Distribution of Boko Haram Activities in North Eastern Region of Nigeria Source: Fieldwork (2018) AJGRR: https://escipub.com/american-journal-of-geographical-research-and-reviews/ 5 Mustafa Ibrahim Alhaji and Ezeamaka Cyril Kanayochukwu, AJGRR, 2019;2:13 The result indicates that the activities is mostly Smith (2014) that bound cities are easier to concentrated at the North and North-eastern attack. The result further shows that spatial part of Adamawa State with Madagali recording distribution of Boko Haram incidences in highest (62 attacks) Boko Haram incidences, Adamawa State is uneven pattern. This is in while the western and eastern part of Adamawa agreement with UNDP (2017) that the State recorded the lowest or no occurance of insurgency has benn unevenly distributed in the insurgency activities from 2009 to 2017 (Figure north east region. The implication is that most 3). It might be due to the northern part sharing local living within these villages and town have bountry with Boron State and Cameroom, relocated to peaceful areas in other parts of the making movement easy for the sect. The country. findings is in agreement with Goyei (2018) ans

Figure 3: Spatial Distribution of Boko Haram Incidences in Adamawa State Source: Fieldwork (2018)

The result reveals that Maiduguri which is few or no occurances of the activites. The located at the central part of the Borno State spatial ditribution shows that the activities of the and it’s capital have the highest number (300) sect is mostly in the northern part of the state. of insurgency activities than any town in Borno Thii imply that the Borno State is one of the State (Figure 4). This is in agreement with Blair most attacked states in the region and Nigeria (2015) and Goyei (2018) that the sect as a nation. This have made the people to capatured and gained control of territory in abandone their homes and farms to seek for a around the state.The result also shows that secured place creating internally and externally south central part of Borno State recordered displacement in the state. AJGRR: https://escipub.com/american-journal-of-geographical-research-and-reviews/ 6 Mustafa Ibrahim Alhaji and Ezeamaka Cyril Kanayochukwu, AJGRR, 2019;2:13

Figure 4: Spatial Distribution of Boko Haram Incidences in Borno State Source: Fieldwork (2018)

Figure 5: Spatial Distribution of Boko Haram Incidences in Yobe State Source: Fieldwork (2018)

The result reveals that the northern part of Haram attacks in the state. The result further Yobe State have the least occurance of Boko shows that the insurgency activites is not AJGRR: https://escipub.com/american-journal-of-geographical-research-and-reviews/ 7 Mustafa Ibrahim Alhaji and Ezeamaka Cyril Kanayochukwu, AJGRR, 2019;2:13 evenly distributed within Yobe State as shown incidence of insurgency and the lowest is in Figure 5. The result also shows that Adamawa state with 220 (11.5%) incidences of Potiskum and Damaturu have the highest with Boko Haram insurgency in terms of comparism over 50 insurgency activites in the state while (Figure 6). A further probe of the spatial LGAs at the Northern part of the state have few distribution reveals that the attacks are more in incidences of Boko Haram insurgency. This is the Northern part of the study area as shown in in agreement with the findings of Goyei (2018), Figure 2. This might be the reason for high Mustapha, Ummu and Mohammad (2018) and number of displaced persons in the region as UNDP (2017) that many women has lost their sugguested by Mustapha, Ummu and husbands and means of liveilhood in Mohammad (2018). The implications are that Potiskum/Damaturu and the enviorns due to people no longer stay in these areas, farming attacks from insurgency. and other economic activities are also stopped From the analysis of the spatial distribution of and increase in poverty level of the [people of insurgency activites of the various states the region. The children are also driven away considered in the study. The result shows that from their homes, which leads to the kids not Borno state has the highest number of the attending schools and there denying these kids occurances with about 1461 (76.7%) of the total education. incidence, Yobe state with 224 (11.8%)

Figure 6: Boko Haram Incidences in the Selected States Source: Fieldwork (2018)

Conclusion and Recommendation States from 2009 to 2017. The study The spatial spread of insurgency activities in discovered that Borno State is the most the North eastern geo-political zone of Nigeria, attacked state in study area and that the was undertaken to show the differences in its attacks were more on the northern part of the occurrences in Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe study area. The study has showed that GIS can be utilized in showing the spatial spread of AJGRR: https://escipub.com/american-journal-of-geographical-research-and-reviews/ 8 Mustafa Ibrahim Alhaji and Ezeamaka Cyril Kanayochukwu, AJGRR, 2019;2:13 insurgency activities over a period of time as Diversification and Environmental Management well as making comparism within places on the (Pp. 42-53). Publication of Nigerian Cartographical Association earth surface. The result of the study can assist the Government, security agencies, non- 12. Mustapha, A. A., Ummu A. A. Z and Mohammad Z. A. (2018). The Negative Impact of Boko governmental organisations (NGOs) and policy Haram Insurgency on Women and Children in makers in making decision with regards to Northern Nigeria: An Assessment, American counter-insurgency policies. Lastly, the study International Journal of Social Science recommended that Government and security Research, 3(1):27-33 agencies should adopt the use of GIS analyst 13. Nwanegbo, C. J. and Odigbo, J. (2013) Security (Geospatial analyst) to access accurate and National Development in Nigeria: The Threat of Boko Haram, International Journal of information on insurgency areas. Humanities and Social Sciences, 3(4): 285-291 Reference 14. Nwozor, A. (2013). National Security, Religious 1. Akubor, E. O. (2011). Civil Unrest in Northern Anarchism and the Politics of Amnesty in Nigeria, Nigeria: Beyond the Literal Boko Haram, The Covenant Journal of Politics and international Constitution, 2(4): 71-93 Affairs, 1(1): 1-14 2. Bamigbose, J. A. (2011). Boko Haram and 15. O’Neill, B. E. (1990). Insurgency and Terrorism: Democracy in Nigeria’s Fourth Republic, The Inside Modern Revolutionary Warfare, Constitution, 11(4): 58-70 Washington DC: Brassey’s Inc. 3. Blanchard, L. P. (2014). Nigeria’s Boko Haram: 16. Rayar, A. J. (1996). Desertification and Soil Frequently Asked Questions. In CRS Report for Degradation in Arid and Semi Arid regions in Congress, Congressional Research Service Nigeria. University of Maiduguri Inaugural 4. Brown, D., Dalton, J. and Hoyle, H. (2004). Lecture Series, 55:1– 9 Spatial Forecast Methods for Terrorist Events in 17. Reed, B. (2007). A Social Network Approach to Urban Environments, Springer-Verlag Berlin Understanding an Insurgency, Parameters, Heidelberg Summer: 19-30 5. Chainey, S. and Ratcliffe, J., (2005). GIS and 18. Sadiya, T.B., Oladiti, I., James G.K., Shaba, Crime Mapping, TJ International Ltd, Padstow, H.A., Mamfe, V., Muhammed, S.O., Xu M., Sha, Cornwall J. and Sanusi, M. (2016). Military Terrain 6. Goyei, F. G. (2018). Nigeria’s Boko Haram and Trafficaility Analysis for North-East Nigeria: A its Security Dynamic in the West Africa Sub- GIS and Remote Sensing-Based Approach, Region, Journal of Language, Technology and Journal of mobile computing & Application, 4, 34- Enter. In Africa, 9(1):102-132 46. 7. Hammes, T. X. (2006). Countering Evolved 19. Sani, S. (2011). Boko Haram: History, Ideas and Insurgent Networks, Military Review Revolt, Journal of Constitutional Development, 11 (4), 1-16 8. Hellesen, P. (2008). Counterinsurgency and Its Implications for the Norwegian Special 20. Siegel, L. J. (2007). Criminology: Theories, Operations Forces. A Thesis for the Naval Post Patterns and Typoligies, 11th Edition, Belmont, Graduate School, Monterey, California CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning 9. Jiawei, H. (2003). Mining Spatiotemporal 21. Smith, M. (2014). Factsheet: Explaining Nigeria’s Knowledge: Methodologies and Research Boko Haram and its Violence Insurgency, Issues, KDVis Workshop Retrieved from https://africacheck.org/factsheets/factsheet- 10. Murtada, A. (2013). Boko Haram in Nigeria: Its explaining- nigerias-bokoharam-and-its-violent- Beginnings, Principles and Activities in Nigeria, insurgency Retrieved July, 23, 2014.nhaj.com/pdf/SalafiManhaj_BokoHaram.pdf 22. The Nation (2014). Chibok Girls’ Abduction: U.S. Prepares for a Long Tough Fight against Boko 11. Mustafa, I.A and Helda, S.B. (2017). Spatial- Haram, Editorial, May 23: 2-3 temporal Analysis of Boko Haram Insurgency and Its Implication on National Security in Borno 23. United States Agency International Development State. In M.L. Rilwan & I.E. Bello (Eds.), (2012). Activities of Terrorism in the United State. Geoinformatics for Socio-Economic USAID Publication. Washington, D.C

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