The Federal Government has declared that any individual or group involved in kidnapping, attacks on communities, or terrorising citizens will now be officially treated as terrorists.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, announced the policy on Monday during his end-of-year briefing in Abuja. He explained that the government has ended what it describes as the era of ambiguous labels in Nigeria’s security response.
Idris warned that the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will no longer tolerate insecurity in any form. Therefore, criminal elements threatening lives and property will face decisive action.
“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,” he said.
Moreover, the minister stressed that the policy applies to both individuals and organised groups. No one can hide behind any name or label.
“Any individual or any group. 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,” Idris added.
He explained that the new stance reflects a major shift in Nigeria’s counter-terrorism strategy. It is backed by actions already taken in 2025. For instance, all students and teachers abducted from St Mary’s Catholic School in Paikoro, Niger State, have now returned safely.
“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.
Additionally, Idris said President Tinubu has declared a nationwide security emergency. This will include massive recruitment into the armed forces and police. Trained forest guards will also deploy to remove criminal hideouts.
“What we used to have were dark, unmanned forest areas that became safe havens for terrorists and criminals,” Idris explained.
“With this declaration and recruitment drive, there will be no hiding place for criminals and terrorists in our forests,” he added.
Nigeria has also adopted a new national counter-terrorism doctrine based on four pillars: unified command, intelligence gathering, community stability, and counter-insurgency operations.
Idris highlighted the arrest of two of Africa’s most wanted terror suspects, including a senior ISWAP commander, as proof of improved coordination among security agencies.
“Two of the most internationally wanted criminals were captured through coordinated action by our security forces,” he said.
“Abu Bara, who had a bounty on his head, has been arrested with his chief of staff and is currently facing justice,” he added.
Furthermore, Idris stressed that the government’s stance is firm.
“If you terrorise Nigerians, you are a terrorist. There is no hiding under any name again,” he said.
He also reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to protecting lives and property. Security remains the foundation for economic recovery, public trust, and national stability.
“President Tinubu is putting renewed focus on the security of lives and property. His promise is that Nigeria will witness a far more secure country,” Idris said.
Finally, the minister concluded by welcoming public scrutiny but warned against politicising security matters.
“If you want to counter us, counter us on facts, not emotions,” he said.
“Nigeria is on the rise.”
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