ISIS-WA, Boko Haram, and Ansaru continued to pose serious challenges to Nigeria's national security during the year under review, according to the U.S. government report.
Nigeria faced persistent terrorism attacks in 2022, the U.S. Department of States has said in its latest Country Reports on Terrorism 2022 (CRT).
The report highlights the relentless attacks conducted by ISIS-West Africa (ISIS-WA), Boko Haram and Ansaru across the northern and central regions of Nigeria in 2022.
"ISIS-West Africa (ISIS-WA), Boko Haram and Ansaru continued attacks against Nigerian government and security forces and civilians across the northern and central regions of Nigeria, resulting in deaths, injuries, abductions, and the destruction of property," the CRT report states.
"As the United States confronts a diverse and dynamic range of national security challenges, the U.S. government is deploying the full range of CT (counter-terrorism) tools to ensure a sustainable whole-of-government and whole-of-society CT approach with allies and partners around the world," said U.S. Department of State spokesperson Matthew Miller, in a statement announcing the report's release.
For armed activity in Nigeria, the report reveals the use of a variety of tactics, including use of small arms, capturing military equipment, deploying improvised explosive devices (IEDs), ambushes, and kidnappings. ISIS-WA and Boko Haram conducted hundreds of attacks against Nigerian government and security forces, as well as civilians, according to the report.
The report also describes Nigeria's efforts to counter the financing of terrorism.
Nigeria is an active member of the Intergovernmental Action Group Against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA) and its Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) is a part of the Egmont Group. The November GIABA follow-up report acknowledged Nigeria's substantial progress in addressing technical compliance deficiencies identified in the 2021 mutual evaluation.
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A U.S. law on annual country reports on terrorism requires the U.S. Secretary of State to provide Congress, by 30 April of each year with a report on terrorism regarding countries and groups.
This annual report is the Country Reports on Terrorism.
The Congressional Research Service, in a report to the U.S. Congress, said the Terrorism, Transnational Crime and Corruption Centre at George Mason University provided support in the forms of data collection, analysis and production of the database of worldwide terrorist incidents as well as the Annex of Statistical Information supplemental report which accompanies the CRT.
Pearl Matibe is a Washington, DC-based White House Correspondent, and media commentator with expertise on U.S. foreign policy, and international security. You may follow her on Twitter: @PearlMatibe
