LEXICALISATION AND IDEOLOGIES IN BOKO HARAM VIDEOS: A CRITICAL DISCOURSE EXPLORATION

Abstract

Messages in Boko Haram speeches are interlarded by ideologies that show negative outgroup polarity of others and positive ingroup polarity of self. This study explores the discourse elements that are used in Boko Haram Speeches to show these polarities. Five speeches of Boko Haram were purposively selected from the online transcript of the speeches on Legit.ng and Premium Times online newspapers. The study was guided by the postulations of Van Dijk’s Socio-Cognitive Model of Critical Discourse analysis. The analysis focused on discourse thematisation, group polarities and ideologies communicated through lexical means. The study found that words like “infidels, tyrants, idiots, pagans and thieves” were used by Abubakar Shekau to show negative outgroup polarity of others while discourse elements like “we follow Allah, we obey Qur’an” were used to show positive ingroup polarity. Also, terror thematisation pervaded the speeches as Abubakar Shekau constantly averred that they would continue to kill and that even if he died, there were other fighters that would continue the fight. This terror thematisation, we conclude, is to instil fear in listeners while dampening the courage of Nigerian soldiers. The study therefore recommends that Nigerian troops need to do more in understanding the operational ideologies of the group if they will ever win the war against terror.