FG Reclassifies Kidnappers, Bandits as Terrorists in Security Crackdown

The Federal Government has officially designated kidnappers and violent armed groups as terrorists, signalling a major shift in how Nigeria will confront abductions, attacks on farmers, and persistent violence in rural communities.

The announcement was made on Monday by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, during the federal government’s end-of-year media briefing in Abuja.

By placing kidnapping and banditry under the framework of terrorism, the government is abandoning its long-standing treatment of such acts as ordinary criminal offences. Instead, perpetrators will now be confronted using counterterrorism strategies, laws, and operational responses.

According to Idris, the new classification removes any ambiguity around the identity of violent groups terrorising communities across the country.

“Any group or individual that kidnaps our children, attacks our farmers, and instils fear in our communities will now be treated as a terrorist organisation,” the minister said. “There will be no hiding under labels or excuses. If you terrorise Nigerians, you are a terrorist.”

The government believes the reclassification will strengthen intelligence sharing, improve coordination among security agencies, and enable faster, more decisive military and law enforcement responses to attacks.

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Idris said the policy is already influencing security operations, with closer collaboration among the military, intelligence services, and law enforcement agencies producing tangible results.

He cited the arrest of two internationally wanted criminals in 2025 as evidence that improved inter-agency coordination is yielding outcomes, noting that such successes would have been difficult without shared intelligence and unified command structures.

As part of efforts to deny criminal groups safe havens, the minister disclosed that trained and properly equipped forest guards are being deployed to forests and remote areas commonly used as hideouts by bandits and kidnappers.

The forest guard initiative, he explained, combines surveillance, local intelligence gathering, and rapid-response tactics aimed at dismantling camps, cutting supply routes, and restoring confidence among farming communities that have been repeatedly targeted.

“These forests have been exploited as operational bases for too long,” Idris said. “The goal is to reclaim them and ensure that rural populations can live and work without fear.”

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He also referenced the capture of a senior ISWAP leader and other high-profile suspects, stressing that their arrests were the result of coordinated efforts across multiple security and intelligence agencies.

According to the minister, some of the suspects apprehended had international bounties placed on them and were considered among the most wanted terrorists on the African continent.

“They are now facing justice,” he said, adding that ongoing prosecutions demonstrate the government’s resolve to follow through beyond arrests.

The reclassification is expected to carry far-reaching implications, including tougher prosecutions, expanded military engagement, and the application of counterterrorism laws to crimes previously handled under conventional criminal statutes.

While questions remain around implementation and human rights safeguards, the government insists the move is necessary to stem insecurity and protect lives, livelihoods, and national stability.