Number Nigeria Ranks in Global Terrorism Index Announced After Tinubu Returns To Nigeria From UK
- Nigeria was ranked the fourth most terrorised country in the world in the 2026 Global Terrorism Index released by the Institute for Economics & Peace
- Ini Ememobong described insecurity under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as worsening and evolving into a “lucrative, trillion-naira economy”
- Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi warned that ISWAP, Boko Haram, and emerging groups like Lakurawa reflected systemic governance failures rather than isolated security lapses
Nigeria has been ranked the fourth most terrorised country in the world in the 2026 Global Terrorism Index (GTI).
This was announced by the Institute for Economics & Peace, a non-profit think tank based in Sydney, Australia, shorty after President Tinubu returned to Nigeria from an official visit to UK.
Source: UGC
The report shows that 750 Nigerians lost their lives to terrorism in 2025, marking a 46 per cent increase from the previous year. Recorded terrorist incidents rose to 171 in 2025 from 120 in 2024, highlighting a sharp escalation in violence, Daily Trust reported.
Terrorism ranking: Top 3 before Nigeria
Globally, Pakistan, Burkina Faso and Niger occupy the top three positions, with Nigeria trailing closely behind. The country moved up two places from sixth in 2024 to fourth in 2025.
The report notes that the North-East remains the epicentre of extremist violence led by Boko Haram and ISWAP, while insecurity has spread into the North-West, where bandit groups carried out mass abductions and rural raids, and the Middle Belt, which has seen a rise in farmer-herder clashes.
“In 2025, Nigeria rose two places in the index, reflecting the significant increase in terrorist activity in the country,” the report stated. “Deaths from terrorism have continued to rise, increasing by 46 per cent to 750 in 2025. Together, fatalities attributed to ISWAP and Boko Haram accounted for 80 per cent of all terrorism-related deaths in the country in 2025.”
Borno state alone accounted for 67 per cent of attacks and 72 per cent of deaths, underscoring the concentration of violence in the northeastern region. Civilians remained the primary target, representing 67 per cent of fatalities, while military forces accounted for 19 per cent.
Political parties criticise government response
The Peoples Democratic Party described the report as a stark reflection of worsening insecurity under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Vanguard reported.
Ini Ememobong said the violence has become 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 criticised the administration, noting the 43 per cent increase in attacks and rising civilian casualties.
Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi warned that new groups, such as Lakurawa, are emerging alongside Boko Haram and ISWAP, reflecting systemic governance failures rather than isolated security lapses.
Source: Twitter
Calls for strategic security reforms
The ADC proposed a three-part strategy to address the crisis: 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 emphasised that protecting lives and property is the government’s primary responsibility and called on the Tinubu administration to strengthen local security structures and tackle the socio-economic conditions driving extremism.
The GTI 2026 report serves as a sobering reminder of Nigeria’s security challenges even as the country seeks to restore stability across its most affected regions.
Multiple explosions Rock Maiduguri
Legit.ng previously reported that a double explosion struck Maiduguri, the Borno state capital, throwing residents into shock on Monday, March 16, 2026. It was gathered that the bomb blasts occurred at the Monday Market shortly after iftar, at 7 pm.
Boko Haram terrorists were suspected of having planted Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) in parts of the ancient town.
Source: Legit.ng
