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Screenshot from video of Abubakar Shekau, leader of a Boko Haram faction. Source: Twitter: Audu Bulama Bukarti
FOR Nigeria, the Global Terrorism Index 2024 report is a blunt reminder of the harsh reality that Islamic terrorism is still a malevolent force to be reckoned with on its shores. Entrenched in eighth place as in the previous year, Nigeria recorded a 34 per cent rise in terror-related deaths in 2023 at 524.
The two major franchises – Boko Haram (al-Qaeda) and the Islamic State’s West Africa Province – perpetrated most of the gory deaths as Nigeria transited from Muhammadu Buhari to President Bola Tinubu mid-year. This is a sobering message to Tinubu and his security chiefs to re-strategise comprehensively against the merchants of terror.
There is no comfort or any hiding place for Nigeria. For the first time since 2020, Nigeria witnessed an uptick in terror deaths. “ISWAP has been Nigeria’s deadliest terrorist group for each of the past four years,” the report stated. “It accounted for 53 per cent of the nation’s terrorist-related fatalities and 37 per cent of terrorist incidents in 2023.”
Attacks increased from 48 to 73 or 52 per cent. The deadliest was in August when the two sects clashed, leading to 60 fatalities. In November, Boko Haram insurgents beheaded 15 rice farmers in Mafa LGA, Borno State. In November 2020, the terrorists had beheaded 76 rice farmers in Zabarmari, Borno.
The only mitigating aspect is that the terrorist factions are now attacking themselves more and terrorism-related deaths would have declined by 18 per cent in Nigeria if not for that. As such, Nigeria remains in the top 10 countries suffering from terrorism. Two of the countries are its neighbours – Burkina Faso, Niger; Mali is not too far away.
In summary, global terrorism deaths in 2023 rose by 8,352 or 22 per cent more than in 2022 with the Sahel region worst afflicted.
Nigeria has been under the siege of Islamic terror since 2009. It hosts some of the deadliest terror groups in the world in Boko Haram, bandits, and Fulani herdsmen militias. Successive governments have paid lip service to ending the insurgency that has claimed over 100,000 lives and displaced over two million, especially in the North-East epicentre. Under Goodluck Jonathan in April 2014, Boko Haram gained international notoriety after insurgents abducted 276 Chibok secondary schoolgirls in Borno. About 100 of the girls are still with the extremists.
In February 2018, insurgents also captured 110 schoolgirls at Dapchi, Yobe State. Only Leah Sharibu is still with the militants because she refused to renounce her Christian faith.
The GTI report coincides with mass abductions in three internally displaced persons camps in Ngala, Gamboru-Ngala Local Government Area of Borno State two weeks ago. The UN put the figure at 200 victims. After this, the extremists struck in Borno’s Dikwa LGA, burning down 30 new houses built to resettle the IDPs who fled from Boko Haram attacks.
The rage of terror continued last Thursday when bandits invaded the LEA Primary and Junior Secondary School, Kuriga, Chikun LGA, Kaduna State and abducted no fewer than 312 students and a principal, Abubakar Isah. They killed two persons.
In addition, bandits abducted 15 pupils at an Islamiya school in Gada LGA, Sokoto State at the weekend. Despite all the assurances by government, the bandits stormed Budah, a village in Kajuru LGA of Kaduna State, on Monday, abducting 30 persons.
All this puts a lie to the deceptive narrative in the Tinubu administration that it has secured the country better than its predecessor. Dubiously, Senate President Godswill Akpabio claimed on March 6: “It is a fact that since he (Tinubu) assumed duties, insecurity has abated, and major attacks are no longer taking place.”
For Tinubu to secure Nigeria, he must be hands-on, stop the sources of terror funding, and prosecute the criminals. He should drive the state police project.
