The Federal Government has formally reclassified kidnappers and violent armed groups as terrorists, marking a major shift in Nigeria’s internal security strategy.
The announcement was made on Monday by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, during the end-of-year ministerial briefing in Abuja.
Idris said President Tinubu has ended the “era of ambiguous nomenclature,” stressing that any individual or group involved in kidnapping, farmer attacks, rural banditry, or community terror “will now be treated and prosecuted as terrorists.”
The new designation, he explained, allows security agencies to apply counterterrorism laws, improve intelligence sharing, and activate stronger joint operations.
The minister cited the recent arrest of two internationally wanted terrorists — including a top ISWAP commander — as evidence of better inter-agency coordination.
To reinforce rural security, the government has begun deploying trained and fully equipped forest guards to protect vulnerable communities, disrupt criminal hideouts, and gather local intelligence.
Idris said the forest security programme is designed to dismantle camps, cut supply lines, and restore confidence among farmers affected by years of attacks.
He emphasised that captured terror suspects are already facing prosecution. “If you terrorise our people, you are a terrorist. Full stop,” he said.
