The Nigerian government has made claims in the past three years saying that they have officially defeated Boko Haram. However, Boko Haram has been active since then and shows no signs of slowing down. In July alone Boko Haram insurgents ambushed a military convoy in Nigeria, and attacked Nigerian soldiers as they were escorting traders to there bordering state of Cameroon. Boko Haram has also been involved in multiple kidnappings all around Nigeria so the fight looks to be far from over.
Killing the leader of a terrorist organization doesn’t mean you have defeated it. There is always people that will step up and fight for what they believe in. Many Boko Haram soldiers are also forced to fight.
The Nigerian government has responded to these recent attacks with putting new military leaders in charge. Although they have tried this method in the past, this is the fourth new military leader in two years, they will attempt this again. Major General Abba Dikko will be replacing Major General Roger Nicholson as the military commander.
The fight of Boko Haram should be less focused on who is leading the military and more focused gaining intelligence to prevent attacks or at least be more prepared for them. Having four different leaders in the span of two years just causes confusion and and does not bring the people fighting Boko Haram close together. The military should be more focused on getting intelligence from citizens that live in the same terrains that Boko Haram operates. The citizens could also inform the military the tactics of Boko Haram. In 2013 the military joined forces with Civilian Task Force which are groups of vigilantes that are security forces against the terrorist organization. The Nigerian military should focus on forming more alliance like this to get as many hands on deck to fight Boko Haram.