Hard Versus Soft Measures to Security: Explaining the Failure of Counter-Terrorism Strategy in Nigeria

Abstract

Nigeria continues to face the challenge of containing terrorism despite adopting diverse counter-terrorism measures. While extant literature has evaluated the impacts of these measures, explaining why terrorist attacks in Nigeria persist despite a robust hard approach through the traditional use of force is still lacking. Thus, this article raises a fundamental question of: why has Boko Haram terrorism persisted in Nigeria despite sustained military operations against it? In this article, we argued that because counter-terrorism in Nigeria is lacking in soft approach, it will be difficult for the Nigerian state to defeat Boko Haram insurgency even with military force.