I don't think that Draitser fully unravels the "mystery of Boko Haram" in this two part, lengthy article; instead he answers the question as to who benefits. In so doing, he provides an excellent overview of Western neocolonial operations in resource rich Africa. All the former European colonial powers are back competing for the continent's wealth; but there are new capitalist actors, US and China, that are on the scene to make it even more complicated.
While many of the details remain murky at best, with powerful players operating behind the scenes, the contours of a regional destabilization and a proxy war become discernible.Although China is a major player, Draitser does not give much information about their involvement. From my memory of other reliable reports, I think the Chinese participation in this continent has had positive benefits for African countries by their promotion of infrastructure construction.