Journal of Law and Criminal Justice

Terrorism and Insurgency as Triggers of Irregular Migration in the Lake Chad Region: Implications for Nigeria
Ibe Okegbe Ifeakandu, Ph.D; Professor Peter Terkaa Akper, Ph.D., SAN

Abstract
The debilitating impacts of terrorism and insurgency on the livelihoods of people around the Lake Chad region have reached alarming magnitude. The West African sub region, which has become the epicenter of terrorist activities of the Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) and the dreaded Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awatiwal Jihad popularly known as the Boko Haram Sect, has witnessed large-scale displacements and destruction of lives and property. The Chad Basin which supported the livelihoods of thousands of people has also become a hot bed of terrorism as the terrorist activities of Boko Haram straddle across the Basin to neighbouring communities in Nigeria, Chad, Niger and Cameroon forcing the inhabitants of these areas to engage in regular and irregular migration in search of safety and livelihoods. The contributory nature of terrorism to irregular migration in countries around the Lake Chad basin towards Europe and other parts of the world is the main focus of this paper. The paper therefore examines terrorism as a trigger of irregular migration around the Lake Chad Region and focuses on the devastating impacts of terrorism on the livelihoods of the affected populations in the Chad basin and neighbouring countries. It posits that as long as terrorism and terrorist activities pervade the area, migration (regular or irregular) will continue to occur with alarming proportions with negative consequences on the people. The paper calls for concerted and sustained efforts by countries of the Chad basin to tackle and repress terrorism and enjoins the European Union countries and other multilateral organisations to galvanise the necessary cooperation, provide logistic and technical support required to repress terrorism, curtail irregular migration and ameliorate the impacts of terrorism on the affected populations.

Full Text: PDF     DOI: 10.15640/jlcj.v9n1a3