The Federal Government on Monday declared all armed groups operating in the country as terrorist groups.
The government said henceforth any armed group that kidnaps children, attacks farmers or terrorizes communities is officially classified and will be dealt with as a terrorist organisation.
It insisted that the era of ambiguous nomenclature was over.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris who made the declaration in Abuja at a press conference also outlined economic gains of 2025.
He said: “In the area of security, 2025 saw the presidential declaration of a nationwide security emergency, that will in the months ahead translate into massive recruitment into the Armed Forces and Police Force, and the deployment of trained and equipped Forest Guards to secure our forests and other vulnerable locations.
”We have also established, in 2025, a new national counterterrorism doctrine—anchored on four critical pillars: unified command, intelligence, community stability, and counterinsurgency.
”Let me be clear about what this means: That henceforth, any armed group that kidnaps our children, attacks our farmers, or terrorizes our communities is officially classified and will be dealt with as a terrorist organization. The era of ambiguous nomenclature is over!
The Minister also expressed President Bola Tinubu’s government’s determination to contain insecurity in the country as reflected in the 2026 budget and declaration of State of emergency on security.
The Minister who was beaming with smiles also confirmed
the return of the remaining 130 pupils abducted from St Mary St. Mary’s Catholic School, Papiri, Niger State.
He said they were released due to the efforts of our security agencies.
He said: “it is appropriate we start this end-of-year press conference by reamplifying the good news that came yesterday from the Office of the National Security Adviser, that the abducted 130 pupils of the St. Mary’s Catholic School, Papiri, Niger State, were released yesterday (Sunday).
“With this development, it can be confirmed that all the abducted pupils, numbering 230, have been freed. Not a single pupil is left in captivity due to the efforts of our security agencies.”
He also noted that the Federal Government empathizes with the parents of the pupils for the anguish the abduction has caused them, and wishes them a pleasant family reunion, a good healing process, Compliments of the Season and a Merry Christmas.”
He also noted that the government has taken strong actions to ensure no abduction of pupils ever happened in the country again.
Idris said the mission of 2026 is to raise the edifice of a secure, competitive, and prosperous Nigeria upon it.
The minister also said the presidential declaration of a nationwide security emergency, “will in the months ahead translate into massive recruitment into the Armed Forces and Police Force, and the deployment of trained and equipped Forest Guards to secure our forests and other vulnerable locations.”
The minister also highlighted that the 2026 budget’s blueprint for security is huge, with the single biggest allocation of N5.41 trillion to Defence and Security.
He said it is a direct investment in protecting lives, property, and prosperity, through modern equipment for our armed forces, a new national intelligence architecture, and a secure digital border surveillance system.”
