The federal government has announced that kidnappers, bandits, and other armed groups attacking communities will henceforth be officially classified and treated as terrorists.
The declaration was made on Monday in Abuja by Mohammed Idris, Minister of Information and National Orientation, during his end-of-year press briefing.
Idris said the administration of President Bola Tinubu has ended what it described as the era of “ambiguous nomenclature” in Nigeria’s security response, stressing that insecurity would no longer be tolerated under any guise.
“Let me be clear about what this means: henceforth, any armed group that kidnaps our children, that attacks our farmers, that terrorises our communities is officially classified and will be dealt with as a terrorist organisation,” the minister said.
“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.”
According to Idris, the decision represents a decisive shift in Nigeria’s counter-terrorism framework and is backed by concrete actions already taken by the Federal Government in 2025.
He cited the rescue of abducted students and teachers of St Mary’s Catholic School, Papri, in Niger State, as evidence of the government’s resolve.
“The remaining abducted schoolchildren and their teachers have been rescued and handed over to the Niger State government,” he said.
“This brings the total number of rescued victims to 230. No one is left in captivity from that incident.”
The minister further disclosed that President Tinubu has declared a nationwide security emergency, paving the way for large-scale recruitment into the armed forces and the police, as well as the deployment of trained forest guards to dismantle criminal hideouts across the country.
“What we used to have were dark, unmanned forest areas that became safe havens for terrorists and criminals,” Idris said.
“With this declaration and recruitment drive, there will be no hiding place for criminals and terrorists in our forests.”
‘If you terrorise Nigerians, you are a terrorist’
Idris said Nigeria has adopted a new national counter-terrorism doctrine built on four pillars — unified command, intelligence, community stability, and counterinsurgency.
He added that improved coordination among security and intelligence agencies has already yielded results, citing 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,” he said.
“Abu Bara, who had a bounty placed on his head, has been arrested alongside his chief of staff and is currently facing justice.”
Reiterating the government’s stance, the minister said the message to criminal elements across the country is unambiguous.
“If you terrorise Nigerians, you are a terrorist. There is no hiding under any name again,” he said.
Idris reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to safeguarding lives and property, describing security as the bedrock of economic recovery, public confidence, and national stability.
“President Tinubu is placing renewed focus on the security of lives and property, and his promise is that Nigeria will become a far more secure country,” he said.
While welcoming public scrutiny, the minister cautioned against politicising security matters.
“If you want to counter us, counter us on facts, not emotions,” he added.