Bad Governance as Socio-Historical Springboard of Youth Recruitment into Boko Haram Terrorism

Youth pervasive degeneration into terrorism has been contested to be one of the adverse consequences of bad governance that accompanied Nigeria's return to democratic government in May 1999. Since the advent of democracy in Nigeria, the socio-political system has suffered considerably from variants of terrorist stronghold of dynamic phenomenon, which pose on daily basis, threats and persistent societal challenges to the peace and stability of the nation. Among these strongholds, Boko Haram rose to be the deadliest calamity of apocalyptic proportion in Nigeria. Drawing insights from Agnew's General Strain Theory, the Nigerian youths are living in frustration emanating from poor democratic governance and the long-lasting aftermath of a combination of years of corruption and mismanagement that have characterized the historical development of the Nigerian state. The study sees the foregoing factors as the most important vehicle of youth recruitment into terrorism. With Boko Haram's persistent reign in vogue, the study recommends stringent measures that will mitigate the continued trends of bad governance in Nigeria. Addressing the predisposing factors that render the northern youths vulnerable to the terrorist recruitment should be of government's topmost priority in the traumatized region.