The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has been ranked as the 10th deadliest terror group in the world.
IPOB, a separatist group, was proscribed and declared a terrorist organisation by the federal government in 2017.
According to the 2023 Global Terrorism Index (GTI), with 40 attacks and 57 deaths, 2022 is considered the group’s deadliest year.
Among the killings spearheaded by IPOB militants were those of an Army couple that were beheaded, different northerners in the South East and numerous security operatives.
In the GTI, published by the Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP), an independent and Non-Profit Think Tank, IPOB is described as a very dangerous terror group.
Al- Shabaab ranked first with 784 deaths and 315 attacks while Islamic State – Khorasan Province (ISK) recorded 498 deaths and 141 attacks; Jamaat Nusrat Al-Islam wal Muslimeen (JNIM), 279 deaths and 77 attacks; Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), 233 deaths and 30 attacks.
The Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) ranked 6th with 219 deaths and 65 attacks followed by Boko Haram which is responsible for 204 deaths and 64 attacks.
The reports also showed Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) as recording 137 deaths and 90 attacks, followed by Islamic State – Sinai Province with 71 deaths and 27 attacks.
The report said, “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 military overtook law enforcement as the most targeted group in 2022. 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. ISWAP continues to be the deadliest terrorist group in Nigeria for the third consecutive year. The group’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. ISWAP 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 Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), designated as a terrorist group by the Nigerian government in 2017, 52 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. IPOB is a separatist movement with many factions, many of which are seeking a peaceful succession from Nigeria.
“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.
Daily Trust
“Attacks in the state also decreased from 91 to 48 respectively, a decrease of 47 per cent. ISWA is now the most prominent group in Borno State, recording 40 incidents that resulted in 168 deaths in 2022, compared to Boko Haram’s six incidents and 63 deaths. The state, however, remains the hardest-hit region in Nigeria for terrorism, accounting for 60 per cent of all terror-related deaths in 2022. The deadliest terror attack of the year occurred in Borno State, when gunmen killed 50 civilians who were accused of informing on the terrorists’ movements to security forces. ISWA claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it had targeted spies.”