Nigeria is the second most attacked country by the Islamic State terrorist group globally, data by Jihad Analytics reveals.
Meanwhile, The PUNCH investigation reveals that the country’s budgetary allocation from 2015 to 2022 is N11.18tn.
Jihad Analytics specialises in global and cyber jihad, open-source intelligence and data.
In its report covering January to June 2022, the group said Nigeria recorded 305 attacks, with Iraq being first (337) and Syria third (142).
This is happening against the backdrop of President Muhammadu Buhari’s claims that his regime was winning the counter-terrorism war.
Recall that ISWAP terrorists claimed responsibility for the attack on the Kuje Medium Security Correctional Centre, Abuja, on July 5, during which hundreds of suspected Boko Haram commanders and other criminals escaped.
Its fighters were also believed to have masterminded the attack on the elite Guards Brigade troops in Abuja in which five soldiers died.
Since Buhari assumed office on May 29, 2015, his regime has allocated approximately N11.18tn as security budget.
This figure covers budgetary allocations to the Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Police Affairs, National Security Adviser and the Police Service Commission.
Based on the 2015 Appropriation Act available on the website of the Budget Office of the Federation, a total of N626.39bn was allocated.
For all aforementioned ministries and agencies, it rose to N978.72bn in 2016, N1.12tn in 2017, N1.26tn by 2018, N1.33tn in 2019, N1.71tn in 2020, and N1.87tn in 2021.
By 2022, the budgetary allocation had increased to N2.27tn, an increase of 262.39 per cent compared to 2015.
Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari approved $1 bn for military equipment on April 4, 2018, following a meeting with security chiefs at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Also, recall that the Ministry of Defence had purchased equipment for the Nigerian Army, Navy, and Defence Intelligence Agency worth $99.5m out of the $1bn approved by the President.
In 2018, Buhari told the National Assembly that he had ordered the payment of $496m to the United States Government for purchasing 12 Tucano aircraft ahead of legislative approval to withdraw the $1bn fund from the Excess Crude Account.
However, in March, the $1bn arms fund was engulfed in controversy when the National Security Adviser, Maj Gen Babagana Monguno (retd.), alleged that the $1bn meant to purchase arms to tackle the insurgency had gone missing.
The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute describes Nigeria as one of the largest military spenders in the world.
