Nigerian Government says armed groups attacking farmers and communities will face full terrorist designation as Tinubu orders tougher internal security policy.
Nigeria’s Federal Government has formally classified kidnappers and armed groups attacking civilians as terrorists, signaling a major escalation in the country’s response to persistent insecurity across rural and urban areas.
The announcement was made Monday December 22, 2025, by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, during an end-of-year media briefing in the capital, Abuja. He said President Bola Tinubu had approved the policy shift, ending what officials described as years of ambiguous labeling of violent criminal groups.
Under the new directive, any individual or organization involved in kidnapping, attacks on farmers, or assaults on communities will be designated and prosecuted as terrorists under Nigerian law.
“Any armed group that kidnaps our children, attacks our farmers, or terrorizes our communities is officially classified and will be dealt with as a terrorist organization,” Idris said. “There will be no hiding under any other name.”
Nigeria has struggled for more than a decade with overlapping security threats, including Islamist insurgencies in the northeast, banditry in the northwest, and widespread kidnapping-for-ransom operations that have targeted schools, highways, and farming communities. The violence has displaced millions and disrupted food production in Africa’s most populous country.
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Idris said the government’s new stance reflects a coordinated effort among military, intelligence, and law enforcement agencies to confront those threats more aggressively. He stressed that instilling fear through violence, regardless of motive or affiliation, now meets the legal threshold for terrorism.
The minister cited recent high-profile arrests as evidence of progress. He confirmed that a senior leader of the Islamic State West Africa Province, or ISWAP, who had been operating inside Nigeria, was recently captured through joint security operations.
He also referenced the earlier arrest of Abu Barra, described as one of the most wanted militants on the African continent, who had been the subject of an international manhunt. Idris said both suspects, along with close aides, are currently standing trial.
“These are individuals with global terror profiles,” he said, adding that their arrests demonstrate improved coordination among Nigeria’s security agencies.
Analysts say the new designation could give authorities broader legal tools but warn that enforcement and respect for due process will be critical to maintaining public trust.
Nigerian government says the policy aims to restore security, protect livelihoods, and send a clear signal that violent criminality will no longer be treated as a lesser offense.
