The Federal Government has formally classified kidnappers and violent armed groups as terrorists, marking a major escalation in Nigeria’s response to abductions, attacks on farmers, and violence against rural communities.
The designation was announced by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, during the Federal Government’s end-of-year press briefing in Abuja.
According to the minister, the decision represents a shift from treating mass kidnappings and rural attacks as conventional criminal offences, bringing such acts under the framework of counterterrorism operations.
He explained that the new classification is expected to strengthen intelligence sharing and enhance operational coordination among security agencies, allowing for faster and more decisive responses to security threats.
Mohammed Idris noted that improved inter-agency collaboration is already yielding positive results, citing the arrest of two internationally wanted criminals in 2025 through joint security operations.
As part of measures to protect vulnerable rural communities, the minister disclosed that trained and properly equipped forest guards are being deployed to forests and other remote areas often used as hideouts by criminal groups. He said the initiative combines surveillance, local intelligence gathering, and rapid-response operations to improve security across affected regions.
The Federal Government reaffirmed its commitment to restoring peace, safeguarding lives and livelihoods, and dismantling criminal networks operating across the country.