Boko Haram Inside Nigeria’s Unholy War:

Description

An insurgency in Nigeria by the Islamist extremist group Boko Haram has left thousands dead, shaken Africa’s biggest country and worried the world. Yet it remains a mysterious—almost unknowable—organisation. Through exhaustive on-the-ground reporting, Mike Smith takes readers inside the conflict and provides the first in-depth account of the violence and unrest: He traces Boko Haram from its beginnings as a small Islamist sect in Nigeria’s remote northeast, led by a baby-faced but charismatic preacher, to its transformation into a hydra-headed entity, deploying suicide bombers and abducting schoolgirls. Interspersed with history, this book delves into the roots of this unholy war being waged by a virtually unknown organisation, which is set to shape the destiny of Africa’s biggest economy and most populous state—and perhaps affect the future of Africa.

‘Perceptive and fair-minded… eminently readable… Smith’s achievement is to demonstrate how Boko Haram arose from the particular conditions of northern Nigeria, where brutal security forces, a corrupt and predatory state, and a long tradition of Islamist radicalism all combine to create a perfect breeding ground for terrorism.’DAVID BLAIR, THE TELEGRAPH

‘The best bits of [Boko Haram] are focused reportage such as the moving tale of Wellington Asiayei… what shines through is [Smith’s] measured anger, shared by many Nigerians, about a country battered by empire builders, the curse of oil, the military and a devastating 1967-70 civil war.’MICHAEL PEEL, FINANCIAL TIMES