The Federal Government has officially designated kidnappers and violent armed groups as terrorists, signalling a major escalation in Nigeria’s fight against abductions, attacks on farmers, and rural insecurity.
The announcement was made on Monday by the Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris, during the year-end press briefing in Abuja.
“This marks a decisive shift. From today, any individual or group that kidnaps our children, attacks our farmers, and terrorises our communities is officially classified and will be treated as a terrorist,” Idris said. “The era of ambiguous nomenclature is over. If you terrorise our people, you are a terrorist. There is no hiding under any other name.”
The minister explained that the new designation will strengthen intelligence sharing and operational coordination across security agencies, enabling faster and more decisive action against criminal networks.
Highlighting successes from 2025, Idris noted that improved inter-agency collaboration led to the capture of two of the most internationally wanted criminals, including the head of ISWAP residing in Nigeria—a figure with a substantial bounty placed on him by the United States. “Abu Barra was also captured a few months ago, and both were publicly presented by the National Security Advisor and security chiefs. These arrests demonstrate the effectiveness of coordinated operations,” he added.
To protect vulnerable rural communities, Idris announced the deployment of trained and equipped forest guards. These personnel will combine surveillance, local intelligence, and rapid-response capabilities to secure forests and remote areas often used as hideouts by criminal groups.
By classifying kidnappers and armed bandits as terrorists, the government is signalling zero tolerance for abductions and rural violence while expanding the powers of security forces to dismantle criminal networks.
The forest guard initiative is expected to disrupt supply routes, dismantle camps, and provide reassurance to farming communities affected by insecurity.
“The safety of our citizens is non-negotiable. From today, anyone who terrorises our people will be met with the full force of the law,” Idris concluded.
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