President Bola Tinubu on Friday announced a that bandits, kidnappers, violent cult groups, foreign-linked mercenaries, and other armed non-state actors will henceforth be treated as terrorists.
Speaking on Friday while presenting the 2026 budget proposal to a joint session of the National Assembly, Tinubu said the policy would target not only perpetrators of violence but also their financiers and enablers. He stressed that any armed group operating outside state authority would fall under the terrorist classification.
The president said the new doctrine would fundamentally change Nigeria’s approach to combating terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, and related crimes, declaring that offenders would receive “no mercy.”
Tinubu also pledged increased investment in security, including enhanced capacity for the armed forces and security agencies through modern equipment and improved operational effectiveness.
To support this, the president earmarked ₦5.41 trillion for security and defence in the proposed ₦58.1 trillion 2026 budget, the largest sectoral allocation in the proposal.
