Mortal 'mistakes', fatal consequences
Understanding Nigeria's mis-targeted counter-insurgency airstrike fatalities
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 5723979 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Al Chukwuma Okoli (0000-0002-1685-3230, Department of Political Science, Federal University of Lafia, Lafia, Nigeria, corresponding author), Azeez Olaniyan (0000-0002-2084-5508, Federal University Oye Ekiti), Azeez O Olaniyan (Federal University Oye Ekiti), Rasheed T Ayegbusi (Federal University Oye Ekiti) |
| Year | 2024 |
| Volume | 35 |
| Issue | 6 |
| Pages | 997-1023 |
| Publication date | 2024-08-17 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Small Wars and Insurgencies (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0959-2318 • E-ISSN: 1743-9558 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/09592318.2024.2349975 |
| OpenAlex | W4396659551 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 20 |
Since 2009, the Nigerian military has engaged in counterinsurgency operations against Boko Haram and other extremists groups in Northern Nigeria, making extensive use of airpower. In such operations, the seeming casual and indiscriminate airstrikes have produced unfortunate scale of collateral damage to both civilians and its own personnel. This paper examines Nigeria’s recurring mis-targeted airstrikes against the backdrop of the country’s protracted and problematic COIN operations. The paper argues that such incidents are not necessarily ’a mistake’ or ‘a mishap’, but a reflection of the limitations of airpower capabilities. Going forward, Nigeria’s endeavours at countering insurgency and allied threats need to be systematically repositioned in a manner that guarantees optimal operational efficiency and precision. This requires improvements in combat techniques and technology as well as in command and intelligence capabilities of the forces
Casual · Collateral · Collateral damage · Computer security · Criminology · Geography · Insurgency · Mistake · Political economy · Political science · Public relations · Sociology · Computer Science · Law · Military History and Strategy · Politics and Conflicts in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Middle East · Terrorism, Counterterrorism, and Political Violence
Banditry and Security Crisis in Nigeria
Community perspectives of terrorism and the Nigerian government’s counterterrorism strategies
Forces of Terror
Flying and bombing
Making the Sky Relevant to Battle Strategy
Shock and awe
Struck and killed in Nigerian Air Force’s campaigns
The Threat of Aerial Bombing in World War Two Lagos, 1938–1943
When two elephants fight
Security in the Lake Chad Basin and Sahel region after Idris Déby
Chronicling the Boko Haram Decade in Nigeria (2010-2020)
Decoding the message
The bandits' world
The impact of precision strike technology on the warfare of non-state armed groups
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |