The Federal Government has formally declared bandits, kidnappers and all armed non-state actors as terrorists, signalling a decisive change in Nigeria’s approach to tackling violent crime and insecurity.
The Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris, announced the policy on Monday during a press briefing, stating that crimes such as mass abductions and attacks on rural communities would no longer be treated as conventional criminal acts but as terrorism.
“Any armed group or individual that kidnaps our children, attacks our farmers or terrorises our communities is now officially classified as a terrorist and will be treated as such,” Idris said.
He stressed that the government was ending what he described as years of confusion in how violent actors were labelled, arguing that this had weakened the national response to insecurity.
“The era of ambiguous nomenclature is over. Whether you operate alone or as a group, once you terrorise Nigerians, you are a terrorist. There is no room for euphemisms anymore,” the minister added.
According to Idris, the new classification will enhance intelligence sharing and improve coordination among security agencies, allowing for quicker deployment of resources and more robust counterterrorism operations nationwide.
He disclosed that strengthened inter-agency cooperation has already delivered tangible results, noting that coordinated operations in 2025 led to the arrest of two criminals listed among the world’s most wanted.
The announcement comes against the backdrop of increased international attention on Nigeria’s security situation, following the recent decision by U.S. President Donald Trump to redesignate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern over allegations of widespread violence against Christians.
Leave a Reply