This article deconstructs the globalizing lens used to read the Boko Haram “label” in order to construct a political sociology of the movement and of armed violence in the Lake Chad basin. Based on several fieldwork forays and interviews with displaced persons, the author sheds light on the group’s predatory behavior, political appeal, and connection to local communities. A heterogeneous movement whose political relationships and local institutions take specific forms, Boko Haram fosters conflict and violence beyond its roots, incorporating actors with a range of aims, expertise, and rationales.