Saturday, July 2, 2011

Boko Haram's Terrorism Does Not Threaten Only Nigeria

Modern Ghana
28 June 2011

By Michael J.K. Bokor, Ph.D.

The Nigerian government has imposed a curfew on the national capital city, Abuja, following recent attacks by Islamist militants. Nightclubs, beer parlours, and cinemas must close by 10pm local time (2100 GMT) and public parks that admit children should close by 6pm.

Abuja city's administration said it has also banned parking of vehicles on two roads where most government offices are located.

“These measures are necessitated by the need to ensure adequate security of lives and property in the federal capital territory [in light of] the prevailing security concerns,” the city's spokesman said in a statement, according to a BBC news report today.

The curfew is the Nigerian government's response to the security threat posed by the Boko Haram Islamic sect, also known as the Boko Haram Islamic State Movement (BHISM). The group, which usually targets the north-eastern state of Borno, around Maiduguri, says it is fighting for Islamic rule, and campaigns against all political and social activities associated with the West.

The curfew may infuriate time-blowers, but it is needed to deal with the security threat posed by the Boko Haram which, after a lull, has intensified its terrorist activities in the last nine months.

The security problems bedeviling Nigeria must pique our interest because of its implications for the entire West African sub-region.

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