Ayudantees Empowerment Initiatives (AYI), a civil society group, has criticized the Global Terrorism Index (GTI) report ranking Nigeria as the 6th most terrorism-affected country.
AYI’s Executive Director, Amechi Oyema, questioned the report’s accuracy, methodology, and whether it accounted for ongoing military efforts against terrorists and bandits.
Oyema emphasized that Nigeria’s security forces have made significant progress, with many terrorists surrendering and several neutralized through intensified military operations. He also raised concerns about whether the Nigerian government was consulted during the data collection process.
According to AYI, reports like GTI’s could create unnecessary panic, misrepresent the security situation, and demoralize troops who are making sacrifices to protect the nation.
The group urged the media and public to disregard the ranking and instead focus on supporting the Armed Forces under the leadership of Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Christopher Musa.
AYI reaffirmed its stance alongside the Defence Headquarters, stressing that global reports should be based on factual, on-the-ground assessments rather than external analysis that may not reflect the reality of Nigeria’s security landscape.
