Nigeria’s security crisis deepened in 2025, with the country rising to fourth on the 2026 Global Terrorism Index after sharp increases in attacks and deaths.
The report said terror incidents surged 43%, from 120 in 2024 to 171 in 2025, while fatalities rose 46% to 750 — the highest since 2020.
“Deaths from terrorism have continued to rise,” the report said.
Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) drove most of the violence, accounting for 80% of deaths, with attacks concentrated in the northeast.
Borno State alone recorded 67% of incidents and 72% of fatalities. “Terrorist activity … was heavily concentrated” in the state, the report noted.
Nigeria stood out as the only country in sub-Saharan Africa to record increases in both attacks and deaths, even as several Sahel nations saw declines.
The surge reflects a broader spike in extremist and criminal violence, with IS-linked attacks jumping from 20 to 92 within a year.
