Nigeria Fourth in Global Terror Deaths, Sahel Leads

According to the 2025 Global Terror Report by the Institute for Economics and Peace, Nigeria has been ranked fourth in terms of terror-related deaths, with 750 people killed, marking a 46% increase from the previous year and the highest toll since 2020. The report highlights that the Sahel region has become the global epicenter of terrorism, accounting for nearly half of the 7,555 terror-related deaths worldwide in 2024.

The report indicates that the total number of victims in the Sahel fell to 5,582 in 2025, despite the region experiencing a tenfold increase in terror fatalities since 2007. Burkina Faso saw a significant decline in deaths, dropping 45% due to improved security measures.

In contrast, Nigeria's ongoing conflict with groups like ISWAP and Boko Haram has contributed to its rising death toll. Mali ranked fifth with 341 deaths, while Pakistan recorded the highest terror deaths since 2013, totaling 1,139.