FOR the first time since 2014, Nigeria is enjoying a bit of cheering news that its terrorism challenges have been on a steady decline.

The Global Terrorism Index, GTI, now ranks Nigeria eighth, an improvement on our sixth ranking in 2021. 

Also, the Institute for Economic and Peace, IEP, in its Terrorism Index published in March 2023, confirmed that Nigeria is now eighth behind Iraq, Pakistan, Syria, Mali, Somalia, Burkina Faso and Afghanistan. Terror attacks resulting in deaths in Nigeria reportedly dropped 23 per cent between 2021 and 2022.

According to IEP: “The impact of terrorism continues to decline in Nigeria; with total deaths falling by 23 percent, decreasing from 497 in 2021 to 385 in 2022. 

The number of terrorist attacks in Nigeria also fell considerably, with 120 incidents recorded in 2022 compared to 214 in 2021. This is the lowest number of terror attacks and deaths since 2011”.

These independent reports vindicate the perception that the appointment of the current crop of Service Chief led by Lt-General Lucky Leo Irabor, the Chief of Defence Staff, on January 26, 2021, has paid off. Nigerians had clamoured for the change of guard in our defence architecture due to the multiplying terror fronts as a result of the failure of the Service Chiefs led by Lt-Gen. Gabriel Olonishakin.

The arrival of the new crop of Armed Forces Chiefs also coincided with President Muhammadu Buhari’s new resolve to give them a free hand to assert their might against Boko Haram, Islamic State in West Africa Province, Ansaru and the Bandits killing, abducting for ransom and taking over ungoverned spaces in the North.

The new kinetic ambience obviously forced the Jihadist groups to focus more on softer targets in the deeper Sahel (Niger, Chad, Burkina Faso and Mali). What this means is that the threat is still lurking within the neighbourhood. They will certainly come back with vengeance once they notice a softening of our resolve in Nigeria, their prize target.

The apparent reduction in core Jihadist attacks does not present a reason for triumphalism, especially by government officials and politicians. 

Even the internal threats posed by the Bandits and the land-grabbing militant herdsmen in our forests are yet to abate. They remain like fish bones in our throats.

We hope the incoming administration will demonstrate much stronger resolve and make it clear that Nigeria is no longer a safe ground for terrorism of any colouration. The onslaught must continue. The incoming regime must also place the rampaging herdsmen militants on the terrorist list and flush them out of our forests. 

They are chiefly responsible for the unprecedented food inflation and hunger in the land. No fight against terrorism can ever achieve much until the armed killer herdsmen are sorted out appropriately.

We must not relent.