Military Challenges Credibility of Global Terrorism Index

Linus Aleke in Abuja

The Nigerian military has queried the credibility of the current Global Terrorism Index, which was released on 5th of March.

The current index ranks Nigeria sixth globally, with a score of 7.658, moving up from eighth place in 2023 and 2024. It also recorded 565 terrorism-related deaths in Nigeria in 2024.

According to the 2025 report, Burkina Faso topped the index with a score of 8.581, followed by Pakistan (8.374), Syria (8.006), Mali (7.907), and Niger (7.776), which ranked second to fifth, respectively.

Somalia (7.614), Israel (7.463), Afghanistan (7.262), Cameroon (6.944), Myanmar (6.929), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (6.768), Iraq (6.582), India (6.410), Colombia (6.381), and Russia (6.267) ranked 7th to sixteenth.

But responding to a question on the report, the Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Markus Kangye, stressed that reports from the Nigerian military provide a more accurate account of the country’s counter-terrorism efforts than external sources.

General Kangye insisted that information provided by those directly involved in a situation is more credible than that from outsiders.

According to him, “Something is happening in my house. I’m the head of the house. I have children, I have a wife, and someone else is reporting what is happening in my house to me. Which one would be more correct? The one that I will tell you as the head of the house or the one that is reported from outside?

“The one I think will give you the correct information is that of the head of the house. As members of the media who attend this meeting every week, you should be able to stand and correct what they are giving Nigerians.”

He urged the media to give the correct version of happenings in the country.

Regarding the sit-at-home order in the South-east, Kangye said residents, out of fear, still stay indoors on Mondays.

He stated that the military was working to free the region from IPOB/ESN fighters.

General Kangye added: “Who gave the order? IPOB/ESN criminals. Because of what is happening in the South-east, Operation Udo Ka was set up, just like Operation Hadin Kai in the North-east.

“I want to tell you that the commanders we have in the South-east have been doing very well. If they give a “sit-at-home” order, the commanders will tell the locals to go about their normal business.

“However, in some areas, locals will stay at home due to fear of being attacked or killed. The commanders under that operation are doing their best”.

He stated that they are doing exceptionally well to ensure that the Southeast is freed from IPOB/ESN.

Earlier in his brief, General Kangye revealed that troops across all operational theatres killed 92 terrorists, including terrorist Commander Abba Alai, popularly known as Amirul Khalid of Alafa.

He added that they also arrested 111 criminal elements and rescued 75 hostages in one week.