Boko Haram: The Past of the Present Upheaval

By Moses E. Ochonu

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 of Boko Haram. 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. Boko Haram analyzes the rise and evolution of the Boko Haram movement within and against the contentious religious pasts of Northern Nigeria.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0520417682
• ISBN13: 9780520417687
• Release Date: February 2026
• Publisher: University of California Press
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 1.23 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.0" x 9.0"