Due to the difficulty of accessing warzones, many researchers study insurrectionary or terrorist movements by analyzing propaganda videos. The example of Boko Haram illustrates the limitations of such a method, which fails to recognize the realities on the ground, and places too much emphasis on arguments of a religious nature. Although the propaganda would have us believe in the existence of an international jihadist movement, the sociological dynamics at work in Nigeria invite us to nuance this picture somewhat.