…as report identifies Boko Haram, ISWAP as masterminds of most attacks
Nigeria has been ranked the fourth most terrorised country in the world.
This is contained in the report of the Global Terrorism Index (GTI) 2026, released by the Institute for Economics & Peace, a non-profit think tank headquartered in Sydney, Australia.
According to the report, 750 Nigerians lost their lives to terrorism in 2025, representing a 46 per cent increase compared to the previous year.
Also, it disclosed that 171 terrorist incidents were recorded in 2025, up from 120 in 2024.
While the North-East remains the epicentre of extremist violence led by Boko Haram and ISWAP, the report noted that insecurity has spread into the North-West, where bandit groups carried out mass abductions and rural raids, and into the Middle Belt, where farmer-herder clashes escalated.
Nigeria moved up two places in the ranking, from sixth in 2024 to fourth in 2025.
The report said Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) and Boko Haram were responsible for most of the terror attacks in the country in 2025.
Civilians were the most targeted group in 2025, accounting for 67 per cent of the attacks, while the military accounted for 19 per cent, according to the report.
The report said, “In 2025, Nigeria rose two places in the index, reflecting the significant increase in terrorist activity in the country.
“Terror attacks in Nigeria increased by 43 per cent this year, from 120 incidents in 2024 to 171 in 2025.
“Deaths from terrorism have continued to rise, increasing by 46 per cent to 750 in 2025. This marks the highest death toll since 2020, driven by internal instability as well as ongoing conflict between ISWAP and Boko Haram.
“Together, fatalities attributed to these groups accounted for 80 per cent of all terrorism-related deaths in the country in 2025.
“Terrorist activity this year was heavily concentrated in the northeastern state of Borno, which experienced 67 per cent of attacks and 72 per cent of deaths in 2025.
“Civilians continued to be the most targeted group in 2025, accounting for 67 per cent of fatalities, while military forces represented 19 per cent.
“This percentage has been steadily increasing over the last five years, highlighting a clear shift in terrorist targeting patterns in the country.”
Reacting, Peoples Democratic Party said the report, which shows Nigeria accounting for nearly 70 per cent of global terrorism-related deaths and one of the largest rises in fatalities, reflects the harsh reality for citizens nationwide.
PDP National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, described insecurity under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as worsening and evolving into a “lucrative, trillion-naira economy,” urging the government to adopt a whole-of-society approach to achieve both immediate cessation of violence and long-term peace.
Similarly, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) criticised the Tinubu-led government, citing a 43 per cent increase in terror attacks and growing civilian casualties, particularly in Borno State, which now accounts for 67 per cent of attacks and 72 per cent of deaths.
ADC National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, said ISWAP and Boko Haram remain active, with new groups like Lakurawa emerging, reflecting a deeper governance failure rather than isolated security lapses.
To tackle the crisis, the ADC proposed a three-part strategy: establishing a national intelligence coordination system and a unified Joint Terrorism Task Force; decentralising policing to bring security closer to communities; and shifting from reactive responses to preventive, intelligence-driven operations.
Both parties stressed that the primary responsibility of government is to protect lives and property, calling on the administration to act decisively, strengthen local security structures, and address the socio-economic conditions that fuel extremism.
