Restorative Justice and its Implications on Transformative Peacebuilding among Victims of the Boko Haram Terrorism in North-Eastern Nigeria

Abstract

Boko Haram’s emergence in Nigeria’s underdeveloped and desert north-eastern geo-political zone, which includes Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba, and Yobe states, has resulted in terrible instability, poverty, displacement, and other misery. The Nigerian government and military mobilised against the terrorist group, yet insecurity and violence have not only persisted, but have actually worsened. In August 2021, there was an alleged move by the Federal Government of Nigeria to grant amnesty to repentant Boko Haram fighters; a move which has been described as a gamble with the nation’s internal security and a complete disregard of the justice system of the country, as well as the entire peacebuilding process in the troubled north-eastern region of the country. This therefore evokes the implications of restorative justice on transformative peacebuilding in north-eastern Nigeria.