Abstract

Onafowora Oluwasolape

Irregular warfare between the Nigerian Army and Boko Haram insurgents occurred in less secured environment which left the most vulnerable (children, women, elderly and harmless young men) to become victims during counterinsurgency operations. Girls were deliberately targeted by terrorists so as to sustain the war against the Nigerian government. Some joined voluntarily while others were captured. Many girls served as domestic servants while others were trained to become suicide bombers. Since irregular warfare is usually a prolonged war, Boko Haram has adopted it as a guerrilla strategy to use girls not only as servants or bombers but as ‘baby producing agents’. Furthermore, leaders of the sect have come to realize that girls, particularly the Chibok girls are war assets who can be used in buying time, swapped for top Boko Haram prisoners, exchanged for ammunitions, sold into black market, motivate terrorists as war bounty, spy communities and carry out complex terrorist attacks. Unfortunately, the Nigerian government is yet to fully situate the place of girls in its counterinsurgency operations. Historical research method and a population-centric counterinsurgency approach were adopted in the study. Understanding how girls experience the conflict, not only as victims but also as perpetrators, needs to directly inform policies and programs to tackle the roots of the insurgency and strategies for curbing it, as well as facilitate girls’ contribution to lasting peace.