The Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) has released two books on how corruption has prolonged the Boko Haram insurgency in northeast Nigeria and how Hate Speech fuels violence in the country.

The two books – “The Compromised State and Context” and “Content in Hate Speech: Discourse in Nigeria” – were presented to a reading audience by CITAD representative and one of the authors, Dr Hassana Ibrahim at the University of Maiduguri on Tuesday.

Ibrahim, a lecturer at the University of Maiduguri, disclosed that “The Compromised State” deals with how corruption is sustaining the insecurity and insurgency in Nigeria.

‘What we intend to do with the book is to enlighten all stakeholders in the conflict and members of the public to be aware that there are other issues that exacerbate the lack of ability to contain the insurgency and corruption is one of the major issues,’ she said.

She said the book was released to reach stakeholders including the governments of Borno State and affected northeast state, the federal government, military and other security agencies, international humanitarian organisations, civil society organisations, traditional rulers and religious leaders.

She disclosed that the books were products of long time researches by scholars to unravel how the state was being compromised by corrupt practices which she noted, hamper all efforts to end the insecurity in the region. She said the researches were funded by McArthur Foundation.

The university don said lack of trust in the past distribution of relief to IDPs may have made the Borno governor personally share foods and other reliefs to victims of insurgency. He also identified some residents claiming to be IDPs to collect relief materials in camps for displaced persons as parts of corruption in the conflict in the northeast.

She said the research output was to help all those involved to ‘retrace their steps and do things the right way to end the was as soonest.’

She also urged political office holders and their supporters to eschew all forms of Hate Speech. She said Hate Speech could inflame anger, resentment and conflicts.

She appealed to the media to support peace-building efforts. She said the research work was funded by MacArthur Foundation, a global organisation that supports effective institution, development and peaceful society in many countries.