Nigeria’s fragile security landscape has come under renewed global scrutiny after two deadly incidents in the country were ranked among the most devastating worldwide.
The 2026 Global Terrorism Index, published by the Institute for Economics and Peace, identified the attacks as part of the most lethal acts of terrorism recorded in 2025, underscoring the continued toll of insurgency in the country’s northeast.
One of the attacks, which occurred in Darajamal village in Bama Local Government Area of Borno State, was ranked the 10th deadliest globally. The violence erupted on September 5, 2025, when armed assailants invaded the community, killing 58 villagers and five soldiers in a coordinated assault.
Security forces later engaged the attackers, with about 30 of them reportedly killed by troops of the Nigerian Army. Although no group formally claimed responsibility, local reports linked the attacks to the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).
A second attack, ranked 12th on the global list, took place months earlier in Kukawa Local Government Area, also in Borno State. On May 15, 2025, militants believed to be members of Boko Haram struck the neighbouring villages of Mallam Karamti and Kwatandashi.
According to reports, dozens of civilians were abducted during the raid, with many taken into nearby forests. At least 57 bodies were later recovered, while about 70 people were still reported missing, deepening fears over their fate.
The attack was attributed to Boko Haram’s Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (JAS) faction, notorious for targeting rural communities.
The inclusion of both incidents in the global ranking highlights the persistent threat posed by extremist groups in Nigeria, even as terrorism-related deaths decline in other parts of the world.
