The Federal Government has yielded to the concern of stakeholders who believe bandits and kidnappers should be categorised as terrorists.

It on Monday officially designated kidnappers and other violent armed groups as terrorists, marking a major escalation in Nigeria’s response to abductions, attacks on farmers, and community violence.

The announcement was made on Monday by the Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris, during the end-of-year press briefing in Abuja.

It came days after President Bola Tinubu declared a total war on the criminals.

As ‘The Punch’ reports, the move signals a shift from treating mass kidnappings and rural attacks as ordinary crimes to confronting them under 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.

“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,” the minister said.

He added that the policy would strengthen intelligence sharing and operational coordination across security agencies, allowing for faster and more decisive action.

The minister highlighted that improved inter-agency collaboration has already produced results, noting that in 2025, two of the most internationally wanted criminals were captured through coordinated operations.

In a bid to secure vulnerable rural areas, Idris also announced the deployment of trained and equipped forest guards, saying that these personnel will combine surveillance, local intelligence, and rapid-response capabilities to secure forests and remote locations often used as hideouts by criminal groups.

By classifying kidnappers as terrorists, the government is signalling zero tolerance for abductions and rural violence, while expanding the powers of security forces.

The forest guard initiative is expected to disrupt criminal supply routes, dismantle camps, and provide reassurance to farming communities affected by insecurity.

He noted the arrest of the ISWAP head residing in Nigeria, described as one of the most wanted terrorists on the African continent, who had a substantial bounty placed on him by the United States.

“The most internationally wanted criminals, the ISWAP head residing in Nigeria, has been captured through the coordination of all the security agencies and those also in the intelligence community.

“Don’t forget that Abu Barra was captured a few months ago, and he was also presented to the public by the National Security Advisor and other security chiefs.

“This is one of the most wanted terrorists on the African continent, and he was captured through the coordination of our security forces.

“Remember also, this was someone who had a large sum of money put on his head by even the Americans to capture him and bring him to justice.

“As we speak today, this gentleman, together with his chief of staff, is undergoing and having their day in court, and he is going to get justice that befits them,” he said.