Boko Haram is the world’s most lethal terrorist group, US-based 21st Century Wilberforce Initiative and Stefanus Foundation, both humanitarian organisations, have said.
The organisations said this to a group of journalists as they spoke about the challenges the victims of terrorism face in Nigeria.
“Global Terrorism index shows that Boko Haram is the world’s most lethal terrorist group, followed by ISIS, while Al-Qaeda ranks third and the Fulani militants mostly in the middle belt rank 4th,” Mark Lipdo, executive director of the Stefanus Foundation, said.
He said 14.8 million Nigerians directly hit by the crisis in the north east. Lipdo also said 1500 schools in the region have been closed, 611 teachers dead and 19,000 others displaced, with 950,000 children forced to stay out of schools, 2000 abducted and 10, 000 boys forced to join Boko Haram.
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“14.8 million Nigerians from north-east are directly impacted by the crisis. Officially, there are 2.2 million Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs,” Lipdo said.
“Unofficially, there are five to seven million IDPs. Those in need of special assistance are 2.5 million, comprising children under the age of five, pregnant women and nursing mothers.”
Also speaking at the event was Elijah Brown, vice president of the 21st Wilberforce Initiative. He said Nigeria has the third-highest number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Africa and the seventh in the world.
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He lamented the menace of herdsmen in the north central and called for quick intervention.
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