On July 18, 2012: Federal Government lifted a state of emergency in four States

 

On July 18, 2012, the Federal Government of Nigeria lifted the state of emergency that had been imposed in parts of four northern states, Borno, Yobe, Plateau, and Niger, due to the rising wave of violence and insurgent attacks blamed on the radical Islamist group Boko Haram. The state of emergency was originally declared by President Goodluck Jonathan in December 2011, targeting specific local government areas most affected by the insurgency.

 The measure was intended to curb the increasing attacks on civilians, security personnel, and religious sites, and to allow the military greater operational control in quelling the violence. During the emergency period, security forces carried out raids, imposed curfews, and tightened surveillance in the affected regions.

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However, by mid-2012, the government announced it was lifting the emergency rule, citing progress in the security situation and the need to restore normalcy to those communities. Despite this decision, many Nigerians and international observers remained concerned that the insurgency was far from over, and that Boko Haram continued to pose a significant threat. 

Critics argued that while the lifting of the emergency might have been politically motivated to create a sense of stability, it risked leaving vulnerable areas without the necessary protections. In the years that followed, Boko Haram would go on to intensify its attacks, proving that the insurgency required a more sustained and strategic approach beyond emergency declarations.

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