Nigeria: Number of school children abducted and number of abductions since 2014
The first major abduction of school children by Boko Haram occurred in Borno State in 2014 when 276 schoolgirls were taken. Since then, at least 1,800 school children have been abducted. More school children were kidnapped in 2021 than in previous years.
Across IDP camps surveyed by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the share of people displaced from their homes for four years or more ranges from 27% in Katsina to 92.5% in Nasarawa.
Most IDPs across the surveyed states have been displaced for at least four years, with only Sokoto and Katsina recording fewer than 50%. This reflects how long insecurity has persisted and the difficulties displaced persons face in returning home.
With rising global cyber threats, Kenya, one of Africa's Tier 1 cybersecurity countries (ITU classification), has recorded 2.76 billion cyber threats in the first nine months of 2024.
After a dramatic spike in Q4 2023 (+943%), cyber threats have dropped by 49% in Q3 2024 but remained significantly higher than five quarters ago. Threats rose again in Q2 (+17%) and then dropped in Q3 (-42%).
This surge in attacks led to a recent major breach, where a government agency’s data was sold on the dark web, highlighting the urgent need for stronger security measures.
What actions can Kenya and other countries take to improve their cybersecurity?
In 2022, the top 50 terrorist attacks claimed 2,088 lives across 11 countries, with African nations significantly affected. Seven of these nations are African, and together they account for over half of the fatalities. Mali alone recorded 421 deaths, Burkina Faso recorded 317 deaths, while Nigeria and Somalia saw 212 and 200 lives lost, respectively.
The 2024 Global Peace Index reveals a decline in peacefulness in 97 countries, the highest since the index began.
Nigeria is among the nations affected by regional conflicts and rising violence. With a peace index score of 2.91, Nigeria is facing increasing challenges.
A deteriorating peace score impacts foreign investment and economic stability. Global economic losses due to violence reached $19.1 trillion in 2023.