Hussaini Ibrahim 
ABUJA, Nigeria – The Federal Government officially classifies kidnappers and violent armed groups as terrorists, marking a decisive shift in Nigeria’s fight against abductions, attacks on farmers and rural insecurity.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, announces the policy at an end-of-year press briefing on Monday in Abuja, stressing that mass kidnappings will no longer be treated as conventional crimes.
“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,” Idris says.
He explains that the designation strengthens intelligence sharing, inter-agency coordination and operational speed, allowing security forces to deploy counter-terrorism strategies against criminal networks.
According to the minister, improved collaboration already delivers results, including the 2025 arrest of two internationally wanted criminals. He also confirms the deployment of trained forest guards to rural hideouts to conduct surveillance, gather local intelligence and disrupt criminal operations.
Idris further reveals that the leader of ISWAP in Nigeria, described as one of Africa’s most wanted terrorists, has been apprehended alongside his chief of staff and is currently on trial.
The policy reinforces the government’s zero-tolerance stance on kidnapping and rural violence, granting expanded powers to security agencies nationwide.
About the Author
Chukwu Obinna 
Juliet Jacob