Boko Haram: The Past of the Present Upheaval (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9780520417694)

For many observers, the predation of Boko Haram, unsparing and venal in its manifestation, is shocking, and it seems to lack a local historical frame of reference that would help make it understandable. For others, Boko Haram's self-declared jihad resonates within a long, local, contested historical memory of religious militancy. This book makes sense of these two seemingly contradictory perceptions. It explains Boko Haram's simultaneous connection to, and disconnection from, a complex history of religious dissidence and militancy in Northern Nigeria. It also answers the question of where the militants came from, what inspired and motivated them, and whether there is a local history of militant religious rebellion that could both illuminate and challenge Boko Haram's self-proclaimed jihad. Moses E. Ochonu analyzes the rise and evolution of the Boko Haram movement within and against the contentious religious pasts of Northern Nigeria.

Author: Moses E. Ochonu
ISBN-10: 0520417690
ISBN-13: 9780520417694
Publisher: University of California Press
Language: English
Published: 02/03/2026
Pages: 288
Format: Paperback
Weight: 0.84lbs
Size: 8.80h x 5.90w x 0.80d