Subdued in Nigeria, Boko Haram Shift Attacks to its Neighbours

The 2022 Global Terrorism Index report has indicated that Nigeria's attacks by the deadly terror group, Boko Haram, appear to have declined in the country, as the group is now preoccupied with attacks on neighboring West African countries.

Nigeria has also gone down to the sixth position globally, among the countries that have been hard hit by terrorism in 2021, according to the report. It had occupied the third position for more than three years before now. 

The GTI report said Boko Haram was responsible for only 69 deaths in Nigeria in 2021, a decrease of 77% from the previous year - the lowest number of deaths by the group for a decade.

According to the report, the death of Boko Haram's leader, Abubakar Shekau, significantly affected the group. The report attributed Boko Haram's decline in attacks against it by a rival terror group, Islamic State in West Africa (ISWAP), and the counter-terrorism efforts of the Nigerian government and foreign military forces. ISWAP split from the Boko Haram group in 2016 but the groups remain united in an insurgency against the Nigerian government that has expanded to neighboring Niger, Chad, and Cameroon.

Boko Haram, for more than a decade, has been waging an armed insurgency against Nigeria, especially in the country's north-east region, leading to the loss of thousands of lives.

Documents

InFocus

Houses were destroyed during a battle with Boko Haram militants in Kousseri, Cameroon on June 11, 2019 (file photo).

Follow AllAfrica

AllAfrica publishes around 400 reports a day from more than 100 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals, representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct.

Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica. To address comments or complaints, please Contact us.