Nigeria is ranked 4th on the 2026 Global Terrorism Index, with Boko Haram, ISWAP, and emerging groups causing rising attacks and civilian casualties
Nigeria has been ranked the fourth most terrorised country globally in the 2026 Global Terrorism Index (GTI), released by the Institute for Economics & Peace.
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The report shows that 750 Nigerians lost their lives to terrorism in 2025, a 46 per cent increase from 2024. Recorded incidents rose from 120 to 171, signalling a sharp escalation in violence.
Globally, Pakistan, Burkina Faso, and Niger occupy the top three positions, with Nigeria moving up two places from sixth in 2024.
The North-East remains the epicentre of extremist violence led by Boko Haram and ISWAP, while insecurity has spread to the North-West and Middle Belt, with bandit attacks and farmer-herder clashes on the rise.
Borno State alone accounted for 67 per cent of attacks and 72 per cent of deaths.
Civilians were the main targets, representing 67 per cent of fatalities.
Political figures criticised the government’s response. Ini Ememobong described insecurity under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as worsening and evolving into a “lucrative, trillion-naira economy.” Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi warned that new groups like Lakurawa, alongside Boko Haram and ISWAP, reflect systemic governance failures rather than isolated lapses.
The African Democratic Congress proposed a three-part strategy: establish a national intelligence coordination system, decentralise policing to communities, and shift to preventive, intelligence-driven operations.
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The GTI 2026 report underscores Nigeria’s ongoing security challenges, highlighting the urgent need for strategic reforms to protect lives, property, and national stability.
