The federal government has officially classified kidnappers, bandits and violent armed groups as terrorists.
The announcement was made on Monday at the government’s end-of-year press briefing in Abuja by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris.
The policy marks a clear departure from treating mass kidnappings, rural assaults and community violence as conventional crimes. Instead, these acts will now fall within the counter-terrorism framework, enabling the state to deploy stronger legal and operational tools against perpetrators.
At the briefing, the Minister stated that the government was closing what it described as a gap in the law’s ability to address widespread insecurity across large parts of the country.
“Henceforth, any armed group or individual that kidnaps our children, attacks our farmers, and terrorises our communities is officially classified and will be dealt with as a terrorist,” Mr Idris said.
He added: “Now, the era of ambiguous nomenclature is over. If you terrorise our people, whether you are a group or you are an individual, you are a terrorist and will be classified as such. There is no name hiding under this again.”
According to the Minister, the designation will enhance intelligence sharing and improve operational coordination among security agencies, enabling faster and more decisive responses to violent incidents. He noted that improved inter-agency collaboration has already yielded results.
“In 2025, two of the most internationally wanted criminals were captured through the coordination of our security agencies and those in the intelligence community,” Idris said, underlining gains achieved through tighter cooperation.
As part of efforts to protect rural communities frequently targeted by kidnappers and bandits, trained and equipped forest guards will be deployed to secure forests and other remote areas often used as hideouts by criminal groups. These personnel are expected to combine surveillance, local intelligence and rapid-response capabilities.
The initiative is designed to disrupt criminal supply lines, dismantle camps and reassure farming communities affected by insecurity.
The government’s announcement comes amid recent high-profile abductions, including the mass kidnapping of students in Niger State, which have drawn national and international attention and raised public calls for firmer action.
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