The Federal Government has announced that kidnappers and violent armed groups will henceforth be treated as terrorists, signaling a tougher national response to abductions, attacks on farmers and violence against rural communities.
The new stance was disclosed on Monday 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 policy ends the previous approach of treating mass kidnappings and rural violence as ordinary criminal acts, placing them instead within Nigeria’s counterterrorism framework.
He said any individual or group involved in kidnapping, attacks on farmers or acts that instill fear in communities would now be officially designated and dealt with as terrorists, adding that there would no longer be room for vague labels or excuses.
Idris explained that the reclassification would strengthen intelligence sharing and improve coordination among security agencies, allowing for faster and more decisive operations against criminal networks.
He noted that enhanced collaboration among security and intelligence agencies has already produced results, pointing to the arrest of two internationally wanted criminals in 2025 through joint operations.
As part of measures to secure vulnerable rural areas, the minister said the government has begun deploying trained and well-equipped forest guards to forests and other remote locations commonly used as criminal hideouts.
He explained that the initiative combines surveillance, local intelligence gathering and rapid-response capabilities.
According to him, the forest guard programme is aimed at disrupting criminal supply chains, dismantling camps and restoring confidence among farming communities affected by persistent insecurity.
Idris further highlighted recent counterterrorism successes, including the arrest of a senior ISWAP leader operating in Nigeria, as well as the capture of Abu Barra, both described as among the most wanted terrorists on the African continent.
He said the arrests were achieved through close coordination among security agencies and the intelligence community, adding that the suspects are currently facing prosecution.
The minister stressed that the new policy underscores the government’s resolve to confront insecurity decisively and ensure that those who terrorise citizens are treated in line with the full weight of counterterrorism laws.
