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IPOB ranks among 20 world’s deadliest terror groups – Report

Published

1 year ago

March 16, 2023

The outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) is listed among the 20 deadliest terror groups in the world, even as the impact of terrorism has continued to decline in Nigeria, according to the 2023 Global Terrorism Index (GTI) report.

Nigeria is now in the eighth position globally, among the countries that have been hard hit by terrorism in 2022, according to the report. Nigeria had occupied the sixth position in last year’s report and was in the third position for more than three years before last year.

Afghanistan, for the fourth consecutive year, is the country most impacted by terrorism, followed by three African countries – Burkina Faso (second position), Somalia (third) and Mali (fourth).

Syria is in the fifth position, while Pakistan is sixth, and Iraq, seventh.

After Nigeria, Myanmar (Burma) comes next in the ninth position, while Nigeria’s neighbour, Niger Republic, is ranked 10th, among the countries hard hit by terrorism in 2022.

The GTI report, released on Tuesday, is in its 10th edition. It tracks terrorism incidents across the world.

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It is produced by the Institute for Economics & Peace, an independent, non-partisan, non-profit think tank which is headquartered in Sydney, Australia.

The GTI report placed IPOB in the 10th position among the deadliest terror groups in the world, while Islamic State, operating around Iraq and Syria, is top on the list.

Islamic State West Africa (ISWA), occupying a sixth position on the global scale, is ranked as the deadliest terror group in Nigeria, followed by Boko Haram, which is the seventh on the global scale.

“The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), designated as a terrorist group by the Nigerian government in 2017, recorded their deadliest year in 2022. They were responsible for 40 attacks and 57 deaths in 2022, an increase from 26 attacks and 34 deaths the year prior,” the report said.

IPOB is leading the agitation for the independent state of Biafra, which it wants carved out of the Igbo speaking south-east region and some parts of South-south Nigeria.

Last year’s GTI report attributed the increase in attacks on police and other security agencies in Nigeria to clashes between law enforcement and IPOB.

“Law enforcement, including police and prison officers overtook both military and civilians as the most targeted group of 2021. Attacks against police and prisons increased substantially from one recorded attack in 2020 to 75 in 2021, accounting for over a third of all attacks in Nigeria in 2021.

“This was largely driven by an increase in clashes between law enforcement and separatist groups, such as the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).”

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The IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu is detained in Abuja, accused of terrorism.

Decrease in attacks, deaths

“The impact of terrorism continues to decline in Nigeria; with total deaths falling by 23 per cent, 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,” the report said.

However, the military overtook law enforcement as the most targeted group in 2022, the report said.

“Military personnel were targeted in a quarter of all attacks, followed by civilians at 24 per cent, and law enforcement at 18 per cent.

“Despite this, half of all terrorism deaths in Nigeria in 2022 were civilians. Civilian deaths increased 78 per cent from 2021 to 196 deaths; while military deaths dropped considerably, falling 74 per cent from 2021 to 58 deaths in 2022.”

Continuing, the report said, “ISWA’s lethality rate increased for the first time in two years, from just over three deaths per attack in 2021 to 3.7 deaths per attack in 2022.

“ISWA recorded its lowest number of attacks and deaths since 2020, at 57 attacks and 211 deaths in 2022, a decline of 28 per cent in attacks and 13 per cent for deaths when compared to the previous year.

“The lethality of ISWA’s attacks increased for the first time in two years, from just over three deaths per attack in 2021 to almost 3.6 deaths per attack in 2022.”

Boko Haram

“Boko Haram’s attacks almost halved within the last year, while deaths attributed to the group increased slightly from 69 in 2021 to 72 in 2022. This is the lowest number of attacks by the group for over a decade,” the report said.

“Boko Haram’s decline has resulted in a substantial improvement in terrorism in Borno State, which experienced a decrease of 12 per cent in terrorism-related deaths when compared with the year prior. Attacks in the state also decreased from 91 to 48 respectively, a decrease of 47 per cent.”

“The conflict between ISWA and Boko Haram that culminated in the death of Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau in May 2021, continued into 2022. Severe defeats, mass defections of operatives to ISWA, as well as counter-terrorism efforts by the Nigerian government and foreign military forces, have significantly weakened Boko Haram’s impact in Nigeria. As a result, ISWA has become significantly stronger and continues to expand its area of activity in north-eastern Nigeria and the Lake Chad region,” the report said.

The worst terror attack in Nigeria in 2022 occurred on 22 May in Borno State when gunmen shot dead 50 civilians. ISWA, which claimed responsibility for the attack, accused the victims of monitoring their movement and reporting the same to the security agencies.

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My husband sold our TV to gamble, woman tells court

Published

10 hours ago

May 16, 2024

Trends Admin

My husband sold our TV to gamble, woman tells court

A housewife, Muinat Ibrahim, on Thursday, filed for divorce in an Area Court in Ilorin on grounds that her husband, Jamiu Abdulmumini sold their television set and other valuables to gamble.

The petitioner told the court that she discovered her husband’s addiction to gambling immediately after their wedding and had tried her best to stop making him stop.

“My husband sold our television set, fridge, and my two Android phones to gamble.

“He also lost two commercial motorcycles and spent my school fees on gambling.

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“I moved out of his house but returned after he promised to stop. He never stopped,” she said.

Ibrahim told the court that her husband moved out of their house to live with his parents when he could no longer get money from her.

The respondent, however, told the court that he was sorry and promised to change.

“I promise to stop gambling. Please give me another chance to make amends.

The presiding Judge, Hammad Ajumonbi, advised the respondent to stop gambling.

“If you continue gambling, you might lose everything you worked for, he said.

Ajumonbi, however, granted the plea of the respondent and gave him one week to change his behavior.

He also asked him to pay back the money he owed his wife and be a responsible husband.

He adjourned the case until May 23, for report of settlement.

My husband sold our TV to gamble, woman tells court

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7 more kidnapped Kogi varsity students rescued

Published

10 hours ago

May 16, 2024

Trends Admin

Confluence University of Science and Technology

7 more kidnapped Kogi varsity students rescued

The Kogi State Police Command has reported the successful rescue of seven additional abducted students from the Confluence University of Science and Technology, Osara, bringing the total number of rescued students to 21 out of the 24 initially abducted.

SP Williams Aya, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), confirmed this development in a statement released on Thursday. He disclosed that the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, had deployed a specialized Air Component of Police Security Apparatus, including helicopter crews trained for aerial surveillance and a Technical Intelligence Unit (TIU), to support the ongoing rescue operation and combat criminal activities in the state.

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Aya praised the combined efforts of the police and other security agencies, emphasizing their commitment to ensuring the safe rescue of all abducted students and bringing the perpetrators to justice. He also noted the satisfaction expressed by the Kogi State Government and the university community with the progress of the rescue operations.

The state Commissioner of Police, Benthrad Onuoha, lauded the IGP for the comprehensive deployment of security personnel and resources to address the situation effectively.

Additionally, unconfirmed reports indicated that the commander of the bandits responsible for the institution’s invasion was killed in a gun battle in the bush on Wednesday.

In a viral video, the alleged commander, dressed in military camouflage, was seen tied to a stick and paraded for scrutiny by other security operatives.

However, the state police command declined to confirm the reported killing of the bandits’ commander, highlighting the ongoing nature of the situation and the need for accurate verification before making official statements.

(DailyTrust)

7 more kidnapped Kogi varsity students rescued

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Troops kill ISWAP’s bomb squad commander

Published

11 hours ago

May 16, 2024

Trends Admin

Nigerian military Troops

Troops kill ISWAP’s bomb squad commander

The troops of Operation Desert Sanity III, under Operation Hadin Kai, have successfully neutralized Mallam Muhammad, the prominent Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) commander overseeing Vehicle-Borne Improvised Explosive Devices (VBIED) in Sambisa Forest.

Muhammad met his end on May 14 following strategic incursions into insurgent strongholds in Ukuba and Njimia, located in Bama Local Government Area.

The terrorist leader operated a significant fabrication workshop producing various types of explosives, including Person-Borne Improvised Explosive Devices (PBIED), VBIEDs, and Roadside Borne Improvised Explosive Devices (RSBIEDs).

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Notorious for conscripting underage children and indoctrinating them with promises of paradise, Muhammadu was to have used his own three children as human bombs.

Intelligence sources told security analyst and counter insurgency expert, Zagazola Makama, that the troops also intercepted a vehicle that was already armed with explosive which was designed to target advancing troops.