The Federal Government has officially designated kidnappers, bandits, and other violent armed groups as terrorists, signaling a major escalation in Nigeria’s fight against insecurity.
The announcement was made by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, during a briefing in Abuja. According to the government, the new designation removes ambiguity surrounding the status of such groups and brings their activities fully under Nigeria’s counter-terrorism laws.
Under the new policy, individuals or groups involved in kidnapping, attacks on communities, destruction of livelihoods, or terrorising citizens will now be treated as terrorists. This move gives security agencies broader legal and operational powers to pursue, arrest, and prosecute perpetrators.
As part of the initiative, the Federal Government has approved the nationwide deployment of forest guards to monitor and secure forests and other remote areas that have increasingly served as hideouts for kidnappers and militants.
The forest guards, working alongside the military, police, and other security agencies, will focus on surveillance, intelligence gathering, and rapid response operations, particularly in forest belts and rural communities most affected by violent crimes.
Government officials emphasized that the combined approach of terrorist designation and forest security operations is aimed at dismantling criminal networks, cutting off safe havens, and restoring public confidence in safety, especially for farmers, travelers, and rural dwellers.
Minister Idris reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to a zero-tolerance stance on kidnapping and violent crimes, stressing that there would be “no hiding place” for perpetrators anywhere in the country. Visit www.jocomms.com for more news.