A new study conducted by Finn Church Aid (FCA), The International Dialogue Centre (KAICIID), The Network of Religious and Traditional Peacemakers and the Citizen Research Centre aims to get behind the profiles of Boko Haram members and seeks understand the reasons why individuals join the radical group. The study followed a similar research carried out by the same authors conducted with Al Shabab fighters in 2014.

In order to put the responses of former fighters into a deeper context, researchers interviewed 60 representatives from Nigerian civil society organisations. The organisations work with for instance community outreach and dialogue, humanitarian assistance, women and youth outreach. The study compares the responses of both groups.