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| Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris |
In a decisive policy shift, the Nigerian Federal Government has formally classified kidnappers, bandits, and other violent armed groups as terrorist organisations, indicating an end to lenient labelling and a tougher counterterrorism approach.
The declaration was made public on December 22 by Minister of Information and National Orientation Mohammed Idris during the government's end-of-year media briefing in Abuja.
"Now, the era of ambiguous nomenclature is over. If you terrorise our people, whether you are a group or you are an individual, you are a terrorist and will be classified as such. There is no name to hide under anymore," Idris stated emphatically.
He added: "Henceforth, any armed group or individual that kidnaps our children, attacks our farmers, and terrorises our communities is officially classified and will be dealt with as a terrorist."
This move implements a new national counterterrorism doctrine outlined by President Bola Tinubu on December 19 while presenting the 2026 budget to the National Assembly.
Tinubu described the framework as a "holistic redesign" anchored on unified command and intelligence, declaring that any gun-wielding non-state actors—including bandits, militias, armed gangs, violent cult groups, forest-based collectives, and foreign-linked mercenaries—would be treated as terrorists.
"We will show no mercy to those who commit or support acts of terrorism, banditry, kidnapping for ransom, and other violent crimes," the President warned.
Enablers, such as financiers, informants, and political protectors, will also face terrorist classification under the new doctrine.
The policy aims to bolster inter-agency coordination and grant security forces expanded powers to combat rampant abductions, rural attacks, and community violence, especially in the Northwest and North-Central regions.
Idris pointed to early successes, revealing that enhanced collaboration led to the capture of two high-profile internationally wanted criminals in 2025.
"The most internationally wanted criminal, the ISWAP head residing in Nigeria, has been captured through the coordination of all the security agencies and those in the intelligence community," he noted.
To deny criminals safe havens, trained forest guards will be deployed for surveillance and rapid-response operations in remote areas.
The government has also declared a nationwide security emergency, paving the way for massive recruitment into the military and police.
This escalation reflects growing urgency to restore stability amid ongoing insecurity that has displaced thousands and disrupted farming.
