The Federal Government has officially designated kidnappers and violent armed groups terrorising communities across Nigeria as terrorists, marking a significant escalation in the country’s response to insecurity.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, announced the decision on Monday during the Federal Government’s end-of-year press briefing in Abuja.
According to Idris, the move represents a shift from treating mass abductions and attacks on rural communities as conventional crimes to confronting them under full counterterrorism frameworks.
“Henceforth, any armed group or individual that kidnaps our children, attacks our farmers, and terrorises our communities is officially classified and will be dealt with as a terrorist,” the minister said.
He added that the government would no longer tolerate ambiguous labels for perpetrators of violence.
“The era of ambiguous nomenclature is over. If you terrorise our people, whether as a group or as an individual, you are a terrorist. There is no name to hide under anymore,” he stated.
Idris explained that the new classification would enhance intelligence sharing and improve coordination among security agencies, allowing for faster and more decisive action against violent actors.
He also cited recent successes recorded through inter-agency collaboration, including the arrest of a senior leader of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) residing in Nigeria.
“The most internationally wanted criminal, the ISWAP head residing in Nigeria, has been captured through the coordination of all security agencies and the intelligence community,” he said.
The minister noted that the suspect was among the most wanted terrorists on the African continent and had a substantial bounty placed on him by the United States.
He recalled that another high-profile terrorist, Abu Barra, was arrested earlier in the year and publicly presented by the National Security Adviser alongside other security chiefs.
“As we speak today, this individual and his chief of staff are undergoing trial and will face justice accordingly,” Idris said.
Beyond domestic security, the minister also addressed Nigeria’s recent diplomatic tensions with the United States following comments by former US President Donald Trump, who had threatened military intervention over allegations of killings of Christians in Nigeria.
Idris said the disagreement had been largely resolved through diplomatic engagement.
“The recent diplomatic spat with the United States has been largely resolved through firm and respectful engagement, resulting in a strengthened partnership between America and Nigeria,” he said.
Trump had, in October and November, described the situation of Christians in Nigeria as an “existential threat” and referred to it as “genocide,” remarks that sparked mixed reactions both locally and internationally.
While some welcomed global attention to Nigeria’s security challenges, others warned against framing the crisis along religious lines. Nigeria remains on Washington’s list of countries of “particular concern” over alleged violations of religious freedom.
Meanwhile, Nigeria was among several countries affected by new visa and immigration restrictions announced by the Trump administration last week.
