In a landmark declaration that signals a fundamental shift in Nigeria’s security strategy, President Bola Tinubu has announced that any armed group operating outside state authority will now be formally designated and treated as a terrorist organization. This policy, unveiled during the presentation of the 2026 Appropriation Bill to a joint session of the National Assembly, represents a critical escalation in the legal and operational framework for combating the nation’s multifaceted security crises.
The president’s statement, delivered on December 19, 2025, moves beyond rhetoric to establish a clear, expansive legal definition for terrorism within the Nigerian context. This doctrinal shift aims to close loopholes that have previously allowed various violent actors to evade the full force of counter-terrorism laws.
Who Falls Under the New Terrorist Designation?
President Tinubu provided a comprehensive, non-exhaustive list of entities now subject to classification as terrorists. This list is notable for its breadth and specificity:
- Conventional Armed Groups: Bandits, militias, and foreign-linked mercenaries.
- Criminal Networks: Armed gangs, kidnapping rings, and armed robbery syndicates.
- Community-Based Threats: Violent cult groups and “forest-based armed collectives.”
- Motivation-Agnostic: Crucially, the designation applies regardless of whether the violence is driven by political, ethnic, financial, or sectarian objectives. The core criterion is the wielding of lethal weapons outside the state’s monopoly on force.
“The denominator is that if you wield lethal weapons and act outside the state’s authority, you are a terrorist,” Tinubu stated, providing a succinct legal and philosophical foundation for the new policy.
The Expansive Net: Targeting the Terrorist Ecosystem
Perhaps the most significant aspect of the new doctrine is its extension of responsibility beyond frontline combatants. In a move aimed at dismantling entire support networks, the President declared that enablers will face the same terrorist designation. This includes:
- Financial & Logistical Support: Financiers, money handlers, arms suppliers, and transporters.
- Operational Facilitators: Harbourers, informants, safe-house owners, and ransom facilitators/negotiators.
- Community & Political Enablers: In a bold warning to the establishment, the policy explicitly names “political protectors,” intermediaries, traditional rulers, community leaders, and religious leaders who facilitate violence.
This “whole-of-network” approach recognizes that terrorism cannot survive without a complex ecosystem. By threatening enablers with the severe legal consequences of a terrorist label—which can include asset freezes, travel bans, and prosecution under stringent laws—the government aims to create a deterrent effect across the entire chain of support.
Operational and Budgetary Backing: The 2026 Security Framework
The new classification is not an isolated declaration but is embedded within a broader security overhaul and budgetary commitment. The 2026 Appropriation Bill, according to Tinubu, “strengthened support for modernisation of the armed forces, intelligence‑driven policing and joint operations and border security and technology‑enabled surveillance.”
The president emphasized accountability, stating, “government would invest in security with clear accountability for outcomes—because security spending must deliver security results.” Key investment areas include:
- Boosting personnel numbers across security agencies.
- Procuring “cutting-edge platforms and other hardware.”
- Pursuing a “new era of the criminal justice system” to effectively prosecute terrorism and violent crimes.
A “New National Counterterrorism Doctrine”: What It Means
Tinubu framed this announcement as part of “resetting the national security architecture and establishing a new national counterterrorism doctrine.” This holistic redesign is anchored on four pillars:
- Unified Command: Likely aimed at reducing inter-agency rivalry and improving coordination.
- Intelligence: Shifting to proactive, intelligence-led operations rather than reactive responses.
- Community Stability: Addressing the root causes and local grievances that allow terrorism to fester.
- Counter-Insurgency: Applying structured military doctrine to all designated terrorist threats.
The ultimate goal, as stated by the President, is to “fundamentally change how we confront terrorism and other violent crimes that have become existential threats to our corporate survival.”
Analysis and Implications
This policy represents a strategic escalation. By labeling groups like bandits and kidnappers as terrorists, the government potentially unlocks more robust military rules of engagement, enables stricter financial controls, and seeks greater international cooperation. However, its success will hinge on consistent and impartial application—especially regarding the prosecution of influential enablers—and on the simultaneous deployment of the promised community stability and developmental programs to undercut the appeal of violent groups. The 2026 budget allocations will be the first concrete test of the doctrine’s operational seriousness.
Reporting by Naomi Sharang for the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN). Edited by ‘Wale Sadeeq.
