Terrorism: Nigeria Ranked Second Despite N11tn Security Budgets

Nigeria has been rated as the second most attacked country by the Islamic State terrorist group despite the budget allocation for security.

Data released by Jihad Analytics covering January to June 2022, shows that Nigeria recorded 305 attacks with Iraq being first (337) and Syria third (142).

Jihad Analytics specialises in global and cyber jihad, open-source intelligence and data.

The Federal Government of Nigeria from 2015 to 2022 have allocated a total of N11.18tn for security.

The report is against the claim by President Muhammadu Buhari-led government that they are winning the counter-terrorism war.

According to Punch, since President Buhari took over power on May 29, 2015, his administration has allocated approximately N11.18tn for security.

The budget allocated for security in the country covers budgetary allocations to the Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Police Affairs, National Security Adviser and the Police Service Commission.

The 2015 Appropriation Act on the website of the Budget Office of the Federation shows that a total of N626.39bn was allocated for security.

It rose to N978.72bn in 2016, N1.12tn in 2017, N1.26tn in 2018, N1.33tn in 2019, N1.71tn in 2020, and N1.87tn in 2021 for all aforementioned ministries and agencies.

The budget allocated to security in 2022 was increased to N2.27tn, showing an increase of 262.39 per cent when compared to the allocation in 2015.

President Buhari on the 4th of April, 2018 after meeting with security chiefs at the presidential villa in Abuja approved $1bn for military equipment.

According to Punch, the Ministry of Defence had purchased equipment for the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Navy, and the Defence Intelligence Agency worth $99.5m, out of the $1bn approved by the President.

President Buhari in 2018 told the National Assembly that he had ordered the payment of $496m to the United States Government for the purchase of 12 Tucano aircraft ahead of legislative approval to withdraw the $1bn fund from the Excess Crude Account.

However, in March, the $1bn arms fund was engulfed in controversy when the National Security Adviser, Maj Gen Babagana Monguno (retd.), alleged that the $1bn meant to purchase arms to tackle the insurgency had gone missing.

The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute describes Nigeria as one of the largest spenders in the area of military expenditures.