Complacency and Resistance of Boko Haram Insurgency: A Canvas of Violence in Aliyu Baba-Ari’s The Paths that Take Us

Abstract

The rise of insurgency in Africa, especially Nigeria, calls serious concern, as their nefarious activities have created a huge negative impact on lives, properties, investments and the country’s economy generally. These have further plunged the citizens into multi-dimensional poverty. However, in spite of the poverty level ravaging the nation, it is perceived that majority of Nigerian politicians, especially those in charge of security agencies, are nonchalant and indifferent towards finding solutions to this ravaging menace. They are instead, implicated as accomplices either providing information to the insurgents or acquiring sophisticated weapons for them in order to protect their political ambitions with the pretext of fighting for Allah. Hence, this contradictory disposition of protecting personal interests under the guise of religion and the government docility towards curtailing Boko Haram insurgency, have raised many unanswered questions about Nigeria as a sovereign nation. So, in exploring Aliyu Baba-Ari’s novel, The Paths that Take Us, the study interrogates the functionality of the Nigerian Military as well as the government and discusses Islamic religious leaders cum the Boko Haram ideology, within the purview of complacency and resistance as highlighted in the text. The research, employed New Historicism theory, as the novel under study interfaces with many historical texts on Boko Haram insurgency and restiveness to ascertain or validate the true state of the people, activities and the society generally, in Nigeria.