After years of nick naming, the Federal Government has officially designated kidnappers, bandits and other violent armed groups as terrorists.
The Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris announced this during the end-of-year press briefing held in Abuja on Monday.
TheFact Daily recalls that the call to label violent armed groups especially bandits and fulani militia as terrorists had often fell on deaf ears.
“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.
“Now, the era of ambiguous nomenclature is over. If you terrorize our people, whether you are a group or you are an individual, you are a terrorist and will be classified as such. There is no name hiding under this again,” the minister said.
According to him, the policy would strengthen intelligence sharing and operational coordination across security agencies, allowing for faster and more decisive action.
He further highlighted that improved inter-agency collaboration already produced results, noting that in 2025, two of the most internationally wanted criminals were captured through coordinated operations.
The Minister also announced the deployment of trained and equipped forest guards, saying that these personnel will combine surveillance, local intelligence, and rapid-response capabilities to secure forests and remote locations often used as hideouts by criminal groups.
By classifying kidnappers as terrorists, the government is signaling zero tolerance for abductions and rural violence, while expanding the powers of security forces.
The forest guard initiative is expected to disrupt criminal supply routes, dismantle camps, and provide reassurance to farming communities affected by insecurity.
He noted the arrest of the ISWAP head residing in Nigeria, described as one of the most wanted terrorists on the African continent, who had a substantial bounty placed on him by the United States.
“The most internationally wanted criminals, the ISWAP head residing in Nigeria, has been captured through the coordination of all the security agencies and those also in the intelligence community.
“Don’t forget that Abu Barra was captured a few months ago, and he was also presented to the public by the National Security Advisor and other security chiefs.
“This is one of the most wanted terrorists on the African continent, and he was captured through the coordination of our security forces.
“Remember also, this was someone who had a large sum of money put on his head by even the Americans to capture him and bring him to justice.
“As we speak today, this gentleman, together with his chief of staff, are undergoing and having their day in court, and he is going to get justice that befits them,” he said.
