Nigeria Calls for Survivor-Centred Global Response to Terrorism, Cites 865 Convictions

Nigeria has called for a sustained, survivor centred global response to terrorism, urging the international community to move beyond short term humanitarian assistance and establish long term support systems for victims and survivors of violent extremism.

The Minister of Defence, General Christopher Gwabin Musa (rtd), made the call at the Ministerial Meeting of the Group of Friends of Victims of Terrorism held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.

The meeting was co-convened by Spain and Iraq.

Musa said terrorism had continued to take a disproportionate toll on Africa, noting that Sub-Saharan Africa accounted for about 60 per cent of global terrorism deaths in 2025.

He said the statistics represented families displaced, livelihoods destroyed, communities fractured and lives permanently altered by terrorism.

“Our task now is to ensure that the identified priorities and needs of victims, as well as lessons and good practices, are translated into sustained action,” he said.

Highlighting Nigeria’s efforts in counter-terrorism and justice, the minister disclosed that the country secured 865 terrorism-related convictions in 2026 alone, describing the development as evidence of Nigeria’s commitment to accountability.

He added that Nigeria continued to prioritise the rescue and liberation of captives, alongside post-rescue interventions covering medical care, psychosocial rehabilitation, economic assistance and community reintegration.

The minister proposed a three-point framework for strengthening international cooperation, comprising enhanced peer learning, inclusive partnerships and targeted United Nations support.

On peer learning, Musa advocated institutional mechanisms that would enable countries to share operational models, referral systems and lessons from their counter-terrorism experiences, including approaches that failed to achieve their intended objectives.

He also called for stronger partnerships among national authorities, civil society organisations and victims’ associations to ensure meaningful survivor participation in justice and rehabilitation processes.

The minister further urged the United Nations to expand technical assistance, capacity-building and resource mobilisation, particularly for countries carrying the greatest burden of terrorism.

Musa commended UN initiatives, including the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) Global Victims of Terrorism Support Programme, the Victims of Terrorism Associations Network (VoTAN), and Germany’s support for the development of the Toolkit for Technology-Enabled Support to Victims of Terrorism.

He reaffirmed Nigeria’s willingness to share its experience and expertise with other countries, while expressing optimism about the International Conference on Victims of Terrorism scheduled to hold in Baghdad, Iraq, in the fourth quarter of 2026.