Terrorism Deaths Jump 46% in Nigeria, Highest Globally –Report

Nigeria recorded the sharpest increase in terrorism-related deaths worldwide in 2025, according to findings from the latest Global Terrorism Index published by the Institute for Economics and Peace. The report shows that fatalities linked to terrorist activities in the country rose by 46 per cent, reaching 750 deaths within the year.

The surge in violence was largely driven by the activities of Islamic State West Africa Province and Boko Haram, which together accounted for about 80 per cent of the recorded deaths. The development places Nigeria among the five countries responsible for nearly 70 per cent of terrorism fatalities globally.

Despite the rise in Nigeria, the report indicates that terrorism declined worldwide in 2025, with global deaths falling by 28 per cent to 5,582 and attacks dropping by nearly 22 per cent. However, countries such as Nigeria, Pakistan, Burkina Faso, Niger and the Democratic Republic of the Congo continued to account for the majority of terrorism-related deaths.

The report notes that while global figures show improvement, the concentration of attacks in Nigeria and other parts of sub-Saharan Africa remains a major security concern, with the Sahel region continuing to emerge as the centre of terrorist activity worldwide.