This is a transcript of episode 12 of The Conversation Weekly podcast: “Why children keep getting kidnapped in Nigeria + the Kenyan women who join Al-Shabaab”. In this episode, insurgent groups in northern Nigeria continue to kidnap schoolchildren as the government struggles to protect communities against militants such as Boko Haram. And we speak to a researcher who has interviewed Kenyan women about why they joined the militant Islamist group Al-Shabaab.
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Gemma Ware: Hello and welcome to The Conversation Weekly. I’m Gemma Ware in London, and for this episode I’m joined by my colleague Wale Fatade in Lagos, Nigeria. Hello Wale.
THE CONSCIOUS INSENSITIVITY OF THE NIGERIAN STATE TO INSECURITY AND HUMAN RIGHT ABUSE
THE CONSCIOUS INSENSITIVITY OF THE NIGERIAN STATE TO INSECURITY AND HUMAN RIGHT ABUSE
In recent times, Nigeria continues to witness high level of insecurity which is not limited to a particular region or geo-political zone of the country but across the country. This did not just start suddenly but began from the North-Eastern region of Nigeria when the Boko Haram crisis started. Though, various local and international actors have made several attempts to intervene and assist Nigeria in the fight, however, such efforts have yielded little or no result. This is because the main actor which is the Nigeria government have being lackadaisical in her approach towards combating the menace of the insurgents within the North-Eastern Nigeria thus, making the insurgents grow such that they are equipped with the wherewithal to confront the Nigeria military and overpower them Okunade and Ogunnubi 2020). As of
Boko Haram hunter honoured for bravery against insurgents
A famous female hunter in Adamawa State, Aisha Bakari Gombi,
has been honoured for her bravery against Boko Haram and other anti-social
elements.
Aisha, who is otherwise called ‘Boko Haram hunter’ after she
has led her band in recent times against Boko Haram and rescued many people
abducted by the sect, received a merit award from an NGO, Royalty Women for
Peace and Development Initiative (ROWPDI).
The NGO said the award was in recognition of Aisha’s record
in complementing the Nigerian Army and other security agencies in
counter-insurgency operations, armed banditry and kidnapping.