ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the Dapchi siege of 19 February 2018, and the attendant abduction of 110 schoolgirls, as a microsome of the enduring Boko Haram terrorism and insurgency. This case was used to evaluate the strategic gains that the insurgents derived from kidnapping as a tactic in their campaign of terror, while paying attention to the gender discourse of the violence and the threats against educational targets. This allows us to reflects on insurgent operational performance as well as its tactical and strategic implications. In the same way, this chapter also assesses the operational and tactical dynamics of Nigeria’s COIN, as evident in its hostage crisis management strategy, against Boko Haram insurgents in the context of the Dapchi siege and abduction. This is important to understand the conceptions of the threats of terrorism in Nigeria, key state and society responses, their salient challenges, and possible ways forward.
