Terrorism: Nigeria placed second despite spending N11 trillion on security

From 2015 to 2022, Nigeria allocated a total of N11.18 trillion on security, according to The PUNCH’s research.
Nevertheless, according to data from Jihad Analytics, the nation continues to be the second most frequently attacked nation worldwide by the Islamic State terrorist organization.
Jihad Analytics specializes on open-source intelligence, data, and cyberjihad.
According to the group’s study for January to June 2022, Nigeria saw 305 attacks, with Iraq recording the most (337), and Syria coming in third (142).
The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd), has stated that his administration is winning the war against terrorism as this is taking place.
The PUNCH had covered attacks in the South-West as well as the North-West and North-Central activities of ISWAP militants and bandits.
The raid on the Kuje Medium Security Correctional Centre in Abuja on July 5 during which hundreds of alleged Boko Haram commanders and other criminals fled was claimed by the group.
The attack on the elite Guards Brigade troops in Abuja, which resulted in the deaths of five soldiers, was also thought to have been planned by the group’s warriors.
Since Buhari took office on May 29, 2015, his administration has allocated over N11.18 trillion for security.
The National Security Adviser, the Police Service Commission, and the Ministries of Defense, Interior, and Police Affairs are all included in this number.
A total of N626.39 billion was allotted, according to the 2015 Appropriation Act, which is available online at the Budget Office of the Federation.
For all aforementioned departments and agencies, it increased to N978.72bn in 2016, N1.12 trillion in 2017, N1.26 trillion by 2018, N1.33 trillion by 2019, N1.71 trillion by 2020, and N1.87 trillion by 2021.
When compared to the budgetary allocation in 2015, the amount grew by 262.39 percent to N2.27 trillion by 2022.
Following a meeting with security leaders at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on April 4, 2018, President Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) approved $1 billion for military equipment.
Out of the $1 billion sanctioned by the President, the Ministry of Defence reportedly spent $99.5 million on equipment for the Nigerian Army, Navy, and Defense Intelligence Agency.
In 2018, Buhari informed the National Assembly that, prior to receiving parliamentary authorisation to withdraw the $1 billion from the Excess Crude Account, he had approved the payment of $496 million to the US government for the purchase of 12 Tucano aircraft.
The $1 billion armament fund, however, was the subject of controversy in March after National Security Advisor Maj Gen Babagana Monguno (retd.) claimed that the $1 billion intended to buy weapons to combat the insurgency had vanished.
Nigeria is one of the nations that spends the most on its military, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.
Analysts talk
According to development economist Aliyu Ilias, the increase in budgetary funding was consistent with the nation’s rising level of insecurity.
“Security (budget) keeps increasing and there is the need to buy more equipment, so it is understandable that there is an increase in budget allocation,” he said.
Prof. Sheriffdeen Tella, an economics professor at Olabisi Onabanjo University in Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State, said that the rise in budgetary allocation was caused by the level of insecurity.
“The level of insecurity has been rising. Definitely, there is the quest for more equipment. This is responsible for the increase in the budget. It simply means the level of insecurity is rising, which should not be,” he said.

GOGAN Media.