Boundaries of Terror: Boko Haram attacks and Border Security Management in the Lake Chad, 2015-2025

Abstract

The Lake Chad Basin, a vital socio-economic hub shared by Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon, and Niger, has been transformed into a theater of protracted conflict due to the activities of Boko Haram. This paper unpacks the boundaries of terror and examines the intersection of insurgent activity and border security management in the Lake Chad between 2015 and 2025. Using a qualitative research design rooted in the "ungoverned spaces" theory, the study evaluates how the sect’s exploitation of porous borders and difficult terrain such as the Sambisa Forest and the Lake’s Tumbuns (islands) has undermined Nigeria’s state sovereignty. Findings indicate that while the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) has successfully reduced large-scale territorial holdings, the evolution of the sect into decentralised factions has sustained a climate of asymmetric terror through the use of explosive devices and suicide bombings. The paper concludes that sustainable security in the region cannot be achieved through kinetic approach alone. It recommends a shift toward integrated trans-border governance that prioritizes intelligence sharing, harmonized legal frameworks for border policing, and socio-economic stabilization to address the environmental and political grievances fueling recruitment