NO MERCY: TINUBU DECLARES BANDITS TERRORISTS, UNVEILS HARDLINE SECURITY DOCTRINE

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has drawn a bold red line in Nigeria’s long-running battle against violent crime, formally designating bandits and all armed non-state actors as terrorists and vowing an uncompromising crackdown on those who threaten national peace and stability.

The declaration was made on Friday during the presentation of the 2026 Appropriation Bill to a joint session of the National Assembly, where the President announced a sweeping overhaul of Nigeria’s security architecture aimed at ending what he described as years of fragmented and ineffective responses to violence.

Under the new framework, Tinubu said banditry, militancy, kidnapping for ransom and related crimes would no longer be treated as ordinary criminal acts but as terrorism, attracting the full force of the state.

> “We will usher in a new era of criminal justice. We will show no mercy to those who commit or support acts of terrorism, banditry, kidnapping for ransom and other violent crimes,” the President declared to thunderous attention in the chamber.

Tinubu stated unequivocally that any armed group operating outside the authority of the Nigerian state would henceforth be regarded as a terrorist organisation.

According to him, the new designation covers bandits, militias, violent cults, armed gangs, forest-based criminal groups, armed robbers and foreign-linked mercenaries, all of whom will now be treated as direct threats to national security.

> “Under this new architecture, any armed group or gun-wielding non-state actors operating outside state authority will be regarded as terrorists,” he said.
“We will go after those who perpetrate violence for political or sectarian ends, as well as those who finance, harbour or facilitate their evil schemes.”

The President revealed that his administration is restructuring Nigeria’s security system around a new national counterterrorism doctrine, designed to enhance coordination, intelligence-sharing and operational effectiveness across security agencies.

> “Our administration is resetting the national security architecture and establishing a new national counterterrorism doctrine — a holistic redesign anchored on unified command, intelligence gathering, community stability and counter-insurgency,” Tinubu explained.
“This doctrine will fundamentally change how we confront terrorism and violent crimes.”

Tinubu also warned that increased funding for security under the 2026 budget would be tied strictly to measurable outcomes, insisting that Nigerians must feel safer as a result of government spending.

> “We will invest in security with clear accountability for outcomes — because security spending must deliver results,” he said.
“Our priority remains boosting the fighting capability of our armed forces and other security agencies with cutting-edge equipment and modern hardware.”

Tinubu’s hardline stance aligns with recent actions by the National Assembly. On November 26, the Senate adopted sweeping security resolutions officially classifying kidnapping and banditry as acts of terrorism and approving the maximum death penalty for kidnapping-related offences.

The resolutions followed an intense plenary debate presided over by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, after a motion raised by Senator Ashiru Oyelola Yisa (Kwara South) and amended by Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele.

In one of its strongest positions in years, the Senate ruled that all kidnapping offences must be treated as terrorism, with no option of fine or sentence reduction by any court. Senator Bamidele was mandated to introduce an amendment bill “in the shortest possible time” to give the decision legal force.

Beyond legal reforms, lawmakers approved the creation of a new Joint Task Force (JTF) to secure the volatile Kwara–Kogi corridor, with Forward Operating Bases to be established in Eruku, Babanla, Oke-Ero, Isanlu and Wasagu in Kebbi State.

The Senate also directed a full investigation into the controversial withdrawal of troops from a school in Kebbi State hours before a bandit attack. All Senate security committees were mandated to probe the incident, including a circular linked to the killing of Brigadier Uba in Maiduguri, and report back within two weeks.

A Turning Point?

Tinubu’s declaration marks one of the toughest policy positions yet by his administration against banditry and armed violence, signalling a decisive shift toward a zero-tolerance, terrorism-focused response in the coming year.

With kidnappings, school raids and deadly attacks continuing to haunt communities nationwide, the President’s message is clear: the gloves are off, and the state is coming for every armed group operating outside the law.