President Bola Tinubu has declared that all armed non-state actors operating outside the authority of the state will henceforth be classified as terrorists.
He made the announcement on Friday while presenting the 2026 budget to a joint session of the national assembly.
Under the new security framework, Tinubu said groups such as bandits, violent cults, militias, armed gangs, forest-based criminal networks and foreign-linked mercenaries would no longer be treated as isolated criminals.
Instead, they would be regarded as direct threats to national stability.
“We will usher in a new era of criminal justice. We will show no mercy to those who commit or support acts of terrorism, banditry, kidnapping for ransom and other violent crimes,” Tinubu said.
The president added that his administration was implementing a new national counterterrorism doctrine designed around unified command, intelligence gathering, community stability and counter-insurgency.
“Our administration is resetting the national security architecture and establishing a new national counterterrorism doctrine — a holistic redesign anchored on unified command, intelligence gathering, community stability, and counter-insurgency. This new doctrine will fundamentally change how we confront terrorism and other violent crimes.”
Tinubu said all counterterrorism operations would now be coordinated under a central command structure to ensure efficiency and rapid response.
He outlined the scope of the measures, noting that both perpetrators and their enablers would face strict enforcement actions.
“Under this new architecture, any armed group or gun-wielding non-state actors operating outside state authority will be regarded as terrorists,” the president said.
“Bandits, militias, armed gangs, armed robbers, violent cults, forest-based armed groups and foreign-linked mercenaries will all be targeted.
“We will go after all those who perpetrate violence for political or sectarian ends, along with those who finance and facilitate their evil schemes.”
Tinubu assured Nigerians of his government’s commitment to restoring law and order nationwide.
“We will invest in security with clear accountability for outcomes — because security spending must deliver results,” he said.
He said the administration’s priorities include strengthening the fighting capability of the armed forces and other security agencies and equipping them with advanced hardware.
“To secure our country, our priority will remain on increasing the fighting capability of our armed forces and other security agencies and boosting the effectiveness of our fighting forces with cutting-edge equipment and other hardware.”