The Civilian Joint Task Force in Nigeria: Counterterrorism from Below

This book highlights the role of local non-state security actors in the fight against Boko Haram in Nigeria.

The book examines the Civilian-JTF’s operational, strategic and tactical engagement with the state security forces as well as how they counter insurgent groups at community levels. The authors look at the Civilian-JTF’s channels of mobilization, operational concepts and level of training, evaluate their strategies for intelligence gathering, surveillance and investigation of cases; and show how they cooperate with the military. They pay particular attention to the role of youth and women in these local security structures. Providing an evidence-based analysis on how the Civilian-JTF can drive political settlements through negotiation and dialogue with insurgent groups.

This book will be of interest to scholars of terrorism and counterterrorism, security studies and African politics.

J. Tochukwu Omenma is professor of comparative politics at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Professor Omenma was Alexander von Humboldt scholar at the Technische Universität Berlin, Germany, from December 2022 to May 2024. Prior to this, Tochukwu served as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Johannesburg, South Africa, where he has been appointed as a visiting professor at the Department of Politics and International Relations. Tochukwu has co-published and co-edited four books, written over 40 peer-reviewed journal papers, and delivered 10 academic and policy-related presentations in 13 countries. Professor Omenma is currently working on the ASB&LCB Space project under the sponsorship of IHE Delft, Netherlands, and has provided consulting services to numerous international agencies, including UNESCO and DFID London. His fieldwork research centres on Lake Chad areas, while his wider research activities cover the conflict belts of the Sahel region, Horn of Africa, and North Africa. In his numerous research initiatives, he blends qualitative and quantitative research methodologies. He holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Nigeria Nsukka, where he teaches.

Cheryl Hendricks is Executive Director of the African Institute, Human Science Research Council, South Africa. Professor Cheryl Hendricks is the Executive Director of the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation (IJR). Prior to this she was Executive Head of the Africa Institute of South Africa in the Human Sciences Research Council (July 2018 - September 2021). She was appointed as a Professor in the Department of Politics and International Studies at the University of Johannesburg in April 2013 and served as the head of the department from 2014 to 2017. Prof Hendricks also spent many years working at the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) first as Program Head for the Southern Africa Human Security Programme and then as Senior Research Fellow in the Conflict Management and Peacebuilding Division. She has also worked at the Centre for Conflict Resolution (CCR) and at the University of the Western Cape (UWC). She holds a PhD in Government and International Relations from the University of South Carolina and a Masters in Southern African Studies from the University of York, England. She has a wealth of knowledge and expertise in the areas of conflict management (conflict prevention, peace-making, peacekeeping, post conflict reconstruction and peacebuilding); women, peace and security; and African Regional Security Architectures. She has published widely on these topics and engages a range of policy makers, academics, researchers, and civil society on these issues.