The federal government has formally declared that kidnappers, bandits and all armed groups attacking communities across the country will henceforth be classified and treated as terrorists, bringing an end to what it described as years of ambiguous security terminology.
The declaration was made on Monday in Abuja by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, during his end of year press briefing.
He said the Tinubu administration would no longer tolerate insecurity under any guise and that anyone who terrorises Nigerians would face the full weight of counter terrorism laws.
“Let me be clear about what this means. Henceforth, any armed group that kidnaps our children, attacks our farmers or terrorises our communities is officially classified and will be dealt with as a terrorist organisation,” Idris said.
According to him, the era of ambiguous nomenclature in Nigeria’s security response is over, stressing that criminal elements can no longer hide under labels such as bandits or unknown gunmen.
“The era of ambiguous nomenclature is over. If you terrorise our people, whether you are a group or an individual, you are a terrorist, and you will be classified as such,” the minister added.
Idris said the policy shift reflects a decisive change in Nigeria’s counter terrorism architecture, backed by concrete actions already taken by the federal government in 2025.
He cited recent security operations as evidence of the administration’s renewed resolve to tackle insecurity.
He confirmed the rescue of abducted students and teachers of St Mary’s Catholic School in Papri, Niger State, saying all victims from the incident had regained their freedom.
“The remaining abducted schoolchildren and their teachers have been rescued and handed over to the Niger State government. This brings the total number of rescued victims to 230. No one is left in captivity from that incident,” he said.
The minister also disclosed that Tinubu has declared a nationwide security emergency, a move he said would result in massive recruitment into the armed forces and the Nigeria Police Force.
He added that trained forest guards would be deployed nationwide to dismantle criminal hideouts in forests.
“What we used to have were dark, unmanned forest areas that became safe havens for terrorists and criminals. With this declaration and recruitment drive, there will be no hiding place for criminals and terrorists in our forests,” Idris said.
He further revealed that Nigeria has adopted a new national counter terrorism doctrine built on four pillars, namely unified command, intelligence, community stability and counterinsurgency.
According to him, improved coordination among security and intelligence agencies has already yielded results, including the arrest of a senior leader of the Islamic State West Africa Province.
“Two of the most internationally wanted criminals were captured through coordinated action by our security forces. Abu Bara, who had a bounty placed on his head, has been arrested alongside his chief of staff and is currently facing justice,” he said.
Reiterating the government’s warning to criminal elements, Idris said, “If you terrorise Nigerians, you are a terrorist. There is no hiding under any name again.”
He reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to the protection of lives and property, noting that security remains the foundation for economic recovery, public trust and national stability.
“Tinubu is putting renewed focus on the security of lives and property, and his promise is that Nigeria will witness a far more secure country,” he said.
The minister said the government welcomes scrutiny from the public and the media but cautioned against politicising security issues.
“If you want to counter us, counter us on facts, not emotions,” he added.
