Terrorism: Nigeria’s Latest Ranking Will Surely Shock You

By Oladosu Oluwagbenga 

When it comes to global terrorism, Nigeria’s latest ranking will surely shock you.

According to THE EAGLE‘s research,  from 2015 to 2022, Nigeria allocated a total of N11.18 trillion on security, .

The nation continues to be the second most frequently attacked country worldwide by the Islamic State terrorist group, despite the substantial budgetary allocation, per Jihad Analytics’ data show.

Jihad Analytics specialises on open-source data, open-source intelligence, and global and cyber jihad.

Nigeria recorded 305 attacks, with Iraq first (337), and Syria third, according to the group’s assessment for the period from January to June 2022. (142).

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President Muhammadu Buhari has stated that his administration is winning the war on terrorism as this is taking place.

The raid on the Kuje Medium Security Correctional Centre in Abuja on July 5 during which hundreds of alleged Boko Haram commanders and other criminals fled was claimed by the group.

The attack on the elite Guards Brigade troops in Abuja, which resulted in the deaths of five soldiers, was also thought to have been planned by the group’s warriors.

Since Buhari took office on May 29, 2015, his administration has allocated over N11.18 trillion for security.

The National Security Adviser, the Police Service Commission, and the Ministries of Defense, Interior, and Police Affairs are all included in this number.

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A total of N626.39 billion was allotted, according to the 2015 Appropriation Act, which is available online at the Budget Office of the Federation.

For all aforementioned departments and agencies, it increased to N978.72bn in 2016, N1.12 trillion in 2017, N1.26 trillion by 2018, N1.33 trillion by 2019, N1.71 trillion by 2020, and N1.87 trillion by 2021.

When compared to the budgetary allocation in 2015, the amount grew by 262.39 percent to N2.27 trillion by 2022.

Following a meeting with the heads of security at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on April 4, 2018, President Muhammadu Buhari approved $1 billion for military equipment.

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Out of the $1 billion sanctioned by the President, the Ministry of Defence has spent $99.5 million on equipment for the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Navy, and Defense Intelligence Agency.

In 2018, Buhari informed the National Assembly that, prior to receiving parliamentary authorisation to withdraw the $1 billion from the Excess Crude Account, he had approved the payment of $496 million to the US government for the purchase of 12 Tucano aircraft.

The $1 billion armament fund, however, was the subject of controversy in March after National Security Advisor Maj Gen Babagana Monguno (retd.) claimed that the $1 billion intended to buy weapons to combat the insurgency had vanished.

Terrorism is increasingly an issue in Nigeria, despite that she is one of the nations spending much to maintain their militaries, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute says.