Nigeria’s response to kidnappings, attacks on farmers, and community violence has significantly escalated with the Federal Government’s official designation of violent armed organizations and kidnappers as terrorists.
Information Minister Mohammed Idris made the statement on Monday during the year-end press conference in Abuja.
This action represents a change from viewing rural attacks and mass kidnappings as common crimes to addressing them with comprehensive counterterrorism tactics.
“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,” Idris declared.
The days of confusing nomenclature are now behind us. Whether you are an organization or an individual, you will be labeled as a terrorist if you terrorize our people. The minister declared, “There is no name hiding under this again.”
He continued by saying that the policy would improve operational coordination and intelligence sharing across security agencies, enabling quicker and more effective action.
The minister emphasized that better inter-agency cooperation has already paid off, pointing out that two of the most wanted criminals worldwide were apprehended in 2025 as a consequence of well-coordinated operations.
Idris also announced the deployment of trained and equipped forest guards in an effort to secure vulnerable rural areas. According to Idris, these personnel will combine surveillance, local intelligence, and rapid-response capabilities to secure forests and remote areas that are frequently used as hiding places by criminal groups.
By designating kidnappers as terrorists, the government is extending the authority of security forces and indicating that kidnappings and rural violence would not be tolerated.
It is anticipated that the forest guard program will demolish camps, cut off criminal supply channels, and reassure farming communities impacted by insecurity.
He mentioned the detention of the head of ISWAP, who lived in Nigeria and was considered one of the most wanted terrorists in Africa. The United States had put a large price on him.
The ISWAP chief, who lived in Nigeria and was one of the most wanted criminals worldwide, was apprehended thanks to the cooperation of all security services and members of the intelligence community.
Remember that the National Security Advisor and other security leaders introduced Abu Barra to the public after he was apprehended a few months back.
“Our security forces worked together to capture one of the most wanted terrorists on the African continent.”Additionally, keep in mind that even the Americans placed a substantial amount of money on this person’s head in order to apprehend and prosecute him.
“This gentleman and his chief of staff are undergoing and having their day in court as we speak today, and he will receive justice that befits them,” he declared.
