The Federal Government has designated kidnappers and violent armed groups as terrorists, signaling a significant shift in Nigeria’s reaction to abductions, attacks on farmers, and communal unrest.
The Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris, made the news on Monday at the end-of-year press briefing in Abuja.
This approach represents a shift from treating large kidnappings and rural attacks as routine crimes to fighting them with full counterterrorism tools.
“Henceforth, any armed group or individual that kidnaps our children, attacks our farmers, and terrorizes our communities is officially classified and will be dealt with as a terrorist.
“Now, the era of ambiguous nomenclature is over. If you terrorize 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,” the minister said.
He also stated that the policy would improve intelligence sharing and operational coordination across security agencies, allowing for faster and more decisive action.
The minister emphasized that greater inter-agency collaboration has already yielded benefits, pointing out that in 2025, two of the most wanted offenders were apprehended through coordinated operations.
In an effort to secure vulnerable rural areas, Idris also announced the deployment of trained and equipped forest guards, stating that these personnel will use surveillance, local intelligence, and rapid-response capabilities to secure forests and remote locations that criminal groups frequently use as hideouts.
The government’s classification of kidnappers as terrorists signals a zero-tolerance policy toward abductions and rural violence, while also strengthening security forces’ authority.
The forest guard project is expected to disrupt criminal supply channels, destroy camps, and reassure farming communities that are experiencing insecurity.
He mentioned the capture of the ISWAP leader in Nigeria, who was described as one of the most wanted terrorists on the African continent and had a large price placed on him by the United States.
“The most internationally wanted criminal, the ISWAP head residing in Nigeria, has been captured through the coordination of all the security agencies and those also in the intelligence community.
“Don’t forget that Abu Barra was captured a few months ago, and he was also presented to the public by the National Security Advisor and other security chiefs.
“This is one of the most wanted terrorists on the African continent, and he was captured through the coordination of our security forces.
“Remember also, this was someone who had a large sum of money put on his head by even the Americans to capture him and bring him to justice.
“As we speak today, this gentleman, together with his chief of staff, is undergoing and having their day in court, and he is going to get justice that befits them,” he said.
