How Boko Haram specifically targets displaced people

This policy brief by the Institute for Security Studies examines the increasing trend of Boko Haram targeting displaced persons, including refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs), as part of a strategic shift toward 'soft' targets.

• Boko Haram has shifted its tactical focus toward 'soft' targets, including women, children, and displaced people. In 2017, there was a marked increase in the use of children as human bombs; between 1 January 2017 and the report date, 83 children were used in attacks, representing a four-fold increase over 2016.
• There is a documented rise in direct attacks on IDP and refugee sites. An ISS database recorded four such attacks in 2015, ten in 2016, and 15 in the first nine months of 2017. Female suicide bombers are responsible for a significant majority of these attacks due to their ability to access camps more easily and attract less suspicion.
• Boko Haram militants infiltrate refugee flows and camps to move undetected or purchase supplies. In July 2017, the Borno State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) identified at least nine insurgents and 100 accomplices among 920 refugees returning from Cameroon.
• The group may be employing 'coercive migration' as a strategic tool to overwhelm governments and force concessions. By generating mass migration and 'capacity swamping,' Boko Haram may attempt to make the cost of managing these flows higher than the cost of submitting to the group's demands.
• Targeting displaced people serves three primary objectives: turning host countries and local communities against refugees by making them appear as security threats, punishing those who fled Boko Haram's control, and increasing the group's international visibility to maintain its image as a formidable threat.
• The group's strategy may be influenced by its alignment with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). ISIL has previously focused on migrants in Europe to frame refugees as security threats rather than victims, a tactic Boko Haram may emulate.

APA

Mbiyozo, A.-N. (2017). How Boko Haram specifically targets displaced people. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/policybrief109.pdf

Chicago

Mbiyozo, Aimée-Noël. How Boko Haram specifically targets displaced people. Institute for Security Studies, 2017. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/policybrief109.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Mbiyozo |first1=Aimée-Noël |title=How Boko Haram specifically targets displaced people |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=2017 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/policybrief109.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{mbiyozo2017how, author = {Mbiyozo, Aimée-Noël}, title = {{How Boko Haram specifically targets displaced people}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2017}, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/policybrief109.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }