ABSTRACT
The Boko Haram jihadi group has been described as an existential threat to the Nigerian nation (see Figure 2.1). At the onset of the armed conflict, the jihadis did not appear to pose a significant national security threat. However, due to poor management of the conflict, the jihadis won a number of battlefield victories and changed tactics from guerrilla warfare to conventional warfare and holding conquered territories. By 2014, the jihadis held territories larger than several Western European nations.
