Abstract
Genocide is the deliberate killing of a large group of people especially those of a particular nation, ethnic or religious group. Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa with great diversity because of the many ethnic, linguistic and religious groups that live within its borders. Nigeria is a state encompassing 250 to 400 ethnic groups of widely varied cultures and modes of political organizations. There are several dominant themes in Nigerian history that are essential in understanding contemporary Nigerian politics and society – culture, ethnicity and religion. Against this background, Nigeria is a disaster waiting to happen. Boko Haram which literally means ‘Western Education is Forbidden’ is the greatest threat to the Nigerian federation. Boko Haram is a Jihadist organization seeking to impose Islamic Sharia Law on Nigeria. In pursuit of its genocidal Islamic agenda, Boko Haram has killed thousands of Nigerians and destroyed hundreds of Churches in many bombing attacks. Presently all eyes are focused on Nigeria internationally since the abduction of over 300 girls from a school by Boko Haram. The paper discusses genocide generally and the United Nations Genocide Convention in relation to the Nigerian federation. The genocidal activities of Boko Haram are discussed extensively. Finally, suggestions are proffered on how to curb genocide in Nigeria. KEY WORDS: GENOCIDE, NIGERIA FEDERATION, BOKO HARAM, RELIGION
Author Information
Mosunmola Imasogie, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Nigeria
Paper Information
Conference: NACSS2014
Stream: International Relations and Human Rights
This paper is part of the NACSS2014 Conference Proceedings (View)
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