Deborah Akinyosoye
The Federal Government has officially classified kidnappers and violent armed groups operating across the country as terrorists.
The development signaled a major escalation in Nigeria’s response to abductions, attacks on farmers and persistent community violence.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, announced the development during the Federal Government’s end-of-year press briefing in Abuja on Monday.
Idris said the new designation marks a clear departure from treating mass kidnappings and rural attacks as conventional criminal acts, noting that such groups will now be confronted using full counterterrorism measures.
“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,” the minister said.
According to him, the policy ends years of what he described as unclear labels for violent groups terrorising communities across the country.
“Now, the era of ambiguous nomenclature is over. If you terrorise 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,” Idris added.
He explained that the new approach would enhance intelligence sharing and improve operational coordination among security agencies, enabling quicker and more decisive action against perpetrators of violence.
The minister also spoke on Nigeria’s recent diplomatic tensions with the United States following comments by US President Donald Trump, who had threatened military intervention over allegations of killings of Christians in Nigeria.
Idris said the disagreement had been largely resolved through diplomatic engagement.
“The recent diplomatic spat with the United States has been largely resolved through a firm, respectful engagement culminating in a strengthened partnership between America and Nigeria,” he said.
Trump had, in October and November, claimed that Nigerian Christians faced an “existential threat” and described the situation as “genocide” amid the country’s multiple security crises.
While the remarks drew mixed reactions, with some welcoming international attention and others warning against inflaming religious tensions, Nigeria remains on Washington’s list of countries of “particular concern” over alleged religious freedom violations.
Last week, Nigeria was also among several countries affected by new visa and immigration restrictions announced by the Trump administration.