In 2022, Nigeria experienced persistent terrorism, according to the U.S. Department of State’s latest Country Reports on Terrorism (CRT). The report highlights continuous attacks by groups like ISIS-West Africa (ISIS-WA), Boko Haram, and Ansaru in the northern and central regions of Nigeria.
These attacks targeted the government, security forces, and civilians, resulting in casualties, injuries, abductions, and property destruction.
Matthew Miller, a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State, emphasized the deployment of a comprehensive counter-terrorism (CT) approach with allies globally to address diverse and dynamic national security challenges.
The report outlines various tactics employed in Nigeria, such as small arms use, capturing military equipment, improvised explosive devices (IEDs), ambushes, and kidnappings.
Both ISIS-WA and Boko Haram carried out numerous attacks against government and security forces, as well as civilians.
Efforts to counter terrorism financing in Nigeria are also highlighted in the report. Nigeria actively participates in the Intergovernmental Action Group Against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA), and its Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) is part of the Egmont Group.
The report acknowledges Nigeria’s substantial progress in addressing technical compliance deficiencies identified in the 2021 mutual evaluation.
The U.S. Secretary of State is mandated by law to provide an annual report on terrorism to Congress by April 30 each year, known as the Country Reports on Terrorism.
The Terrorism, Transnational Crime, and Corruption Centre at George Mason University support this report by contributing to data collection, analysis, and the production of a database of worldwide terrorist incidents, including the Annex of Statistical Information supplemental report accompanying the CRT.
In a separate report to the U.S. Congress, the Congressional Research Service noted the assistance provided by the Terrorism, Transnational Crime, and Corruption Centre in producing the CRT.
The collaboration involves data collection, analysis, and the creation of a comprehensive database of global terrorist incidents.
