Nigeria, Dec. 7 -- A school of thought contends that Nigeria's current crisis is rooted in three interrelated factors: the rise of Islamic fundamentalism, the expansion of Sharia law in several Northern States, and the abandonment of Sir Ahmadu Bello's vision of a secular penal code. Proponents argue that this shift coincided with a period in which some strands of international Islam turned towards militancy. A good example was the emergence of Osama bin Laden and the broader "war on terror" that reshaped global alliances.



This school of thought, which includes figures like Ayo Osunloye, also points to the perceived alignment of NATO members with Israel's policies towards Arab and Muslim peoples. They suggest that such external dynami...