The Federal Government has formally classified kidnappers and violent armed groups as terrorists, marking a significant escalation in Nigeria’s response to abductions, attacks on farmers and widespread community violence.
The announcement was made on Monday by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, during an end-of-year press briefing in Abuja.
The new designation represents a shift from treating mass kidnappings and rural attacks as conventional crimes to confronting them under full counterterrorism frameworks.
Idris said any individual or group involved in kidnapping, attacks on farmers or the terrorisation of communities would henceforth be treated as terrorists.
“From now on, 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 era of vague labels was over, stressing that anyone who instils fear or violence among citizens would no longer hide under ambiguous classifications.
According to him, the policy will enhance intelligence sharing and strengthen operational coordination among security agencies, enabling faster and more decisive responses to security threats.
Idris noted that improved inter-agency collaboration has already yielded results, revealing that two of the world’s most wanted criminals were arrested in 2025 through coordinated security operations.
As part of efforts to secure vulnerable rural communities, the minister also announced the deployment of trained and properly equipped forest guards. He said the personnel would combine surveillance, local intelligence and rapid-response capabilities to secure forests and remote areas frequently used as criminal hideouts.
He explained that the forest guard initiative is expected to disrupt criminal supply routes, dismantle camps and restore confidence among farming communities affected by persistent insecurity.
Idris further disclosed the arrest of the ISWAP leader residing in Nigeria, describing him as one of the most wanted terrorists on the African continent, with a substantial bounty previously placed on him by the United States.
He recalled that the arrest, along with that of Abu Barra and other high-profile suspects, was achieved through close coordination among security and intelligence agencies.
According to the minister, the arrested suspects, including the ISWAP leader and his chief of staff, are currently facing trial and will be made to answer for their crimes in accordance with the law.
