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| Atiku reflects on early Boko Haram defeat. |
The story of Boko Haram starts with a handful of men in Yobe State in 2002. Then’s vice president Atiku Abubakar recalls. He says he and President Olusegun Obasanjo ordered the military to crush the group fast. They did, he says, in a few weeks. That feat is now at the center of a fierce debate over Nigeria’s security record. A new surge of attacks has raised fears and drawn fresh blame.
Atiku spoke on May 17, 2025, in Abuja. He met with a Kogi State delegation. He noted deep worries over growing violence across Nigeria. He linked the rise to failures since his time in office. "Boko Haram started in 2002, when I was in office," he said. "We ended it within weeks." His words underline pain over fresh bloodshed and growing doubts about current policies.
Experts note Boko Haram began under Mohammed Yusuf in 2002. The group aimed to impose a strict Sunni order. It drew recruits through a mix of sermons and social work. When soldiers moved in, they found small camps and local cells. The early force was weak. It had no real arms stockpile. Obasanjo’s swift orders smashed it before it could spread.
After 2002, Boko Haram vanished from headlines for years. Yusuf fled or hid, according to military reports. The group reemerged in late 2009. A mass prison break in Bauchi freed key leaders. Their return fueled new fights. By 2011, the insurgency had grown violent and bold. Bombings hit police sites and the United Nations building in Abuja.
Many analysts praise the 2002 crackdown. They say fast action stopped a creeping threat. Yet others warn that harsh tactics bred anger in the north. Rising abuses in security forces drove fresh recruits to Boko Haram. Some say Obasanjo’s zero-tolerance order set a pattern of force over reform. That view traces a line from 2002’s success to later failures.
The group split in 2016. A faction joined the Islamic State as its West Africa Province. Since then, Boko Haram has caused thousands of deaths. It has displaced more than two million people. Recent attacks show it still holds sway in parts of Borno and Yobe.
Current president Bola Tinubu has pressed the military to win quick gains. He declared Boko Haram "technically defeated" in 2019. Yet attacks keep coming. Critics say the government lacks a clear plan to heal wounded communities and cut off funding.
Analysts urge lessons from 2002’s brief victory. They argue for a mix of community work, justice reform, and targeted force. They call for local leaders to take charge of talks. They say jobs, schools, and health care can deny militants new recruits.
Atiku’s claim has stirred fierce debate online. Many praise the old win. Others point to mass arrests and human rights abuses then. They warn that ignoring grievances will fuel another surge.
Nigeria faces a stark choice: repeat 2002’s short win or craft a lasting peace. The cost of each path will echo in towns and villages now under threat. The debate over how Boko Haram rose and fell in 2002 could hold key clues for ending its latest wave.