On Friday, President Bola Tinubu declared a comprehensive overhaul of Nigeria’s national security framework, introducing a new counterterrorism strategy that categorizes all armed factions acting beyond the authority of the state as terrorists. This includes bandits, militias, armed gangs, and their political or community supporters.
During the presentation of the 2026 Appropriation Bill to a joint session of the National Assembly, Tinubu stated that this new security reform signifies a “holistic redesign” of Nigeria’s security system, based on unified command, intelligence coordination, community stability, and counter-insurgency efforts.
“Our administration is resetting the national security architecture and establishing a new national counterterrorism doctrine; a holistic redesign anchored on unified command, intelligence, community stability, and counter-insurgency,” the president said.
“This new doctrine will fundamentally change how we confront terrorism and other violent crimes that have become existential threats to our corporate survival and have heightened anxiety among our people.”
Under the newly established framework, Tinubu stated that the government will cease to differentiate between various types of violent non-state actors, asserting that any armed group operating beyond the state’s authority will henceforth be classified as terrorists.
“Henceforth, and under this new architecture, any armed group or gun-wielding non-state actors operating outside state authority will be regarded as terrorists,” he said.
He listed those affected to include “bandits, militias, armed gangs, criminal networks with weapons, armed robbers, violent cult groups, forest-based armed collectives, and foreign-linked mercenaries,” adding that groups or individuals carrying out violence for “political, ethnic, financial, or sectarian objectives” would also fall under the terrorist classification.
Tinubu further warned that groups involved in extortion, kidnapping, or territorial control would face the same designation.
“Members of any group extorting communities, kidnapping civilians, occupying or seeking to occupy territory within Nigeria will be classified as terrorists,” he said.
“The denominator is that if you wield lethal weapons and act outside the state’s authority, you are a terrorist.”
In addition to armed actors, the president broadened the classification to encompass individuals who assist or facilitate violent organizations, such as financiers and political intermediaries.
“Any individual or entity that enables the listed groups as financiers, money handlers, harbourers, informants, ransom facilitators, and negotiators will also be classified as terrorists,” Tinubu said.
He added that “political protectors and intermediaries, transporters, arms suppliers, and safe-house owners will be declared as terrorists,” while warning that even influential figures would not be exempt.
“Politicians, traditional rulers, community leaders, and religious leaders who facilitate and encourage violent actions and terror within Nigeria and against our citizens are also terrorists,
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