President Bola Tinubu has announced a significant shift in Nigeria’s security policy, declaring that all armed non-state actors operating outside the state’s authority will now be classified and treated as terrorists. This new framework aims to bolster national security by adopting a more stringent approach to combating various forms of violent crime.

The announcement came on Friday as President Tinubu presented the 2026 budget to a joint session of the National Assembly. Under the revised security architecture, groups previously considered isolated criminal elements, including bandits, violent cults, militias, armed gangs, forest-based criminal organizations, and foreign-linked mercenaries, will be confronted as direct threats to national stability.

“We will usher in a new era of criminal justice,” President Tinubu stated, emphasizing a zero-tolerance policy. “We will show no mercy to those who commit or support acts of terrorism, banditry, kidnapping for ransom and other violent crimes.” This directive signals a decisive move away from previous, potentially less confrontational, strategies.

The administration is implementing a comprehensive redesign of the national security architecture, establishing a new national counterterrorism doctrine. This doctrine is anchored on principles of unified command, enhanced intelligence gathering, community stability, and robust counter-insurgency operations. The goal is to fundamentally transform how Nigeria confronts terrorism and other violent criminal activities.

Under the new doctrine, all counterterrorism operations will be unified under a coordinated command structure. This consolidation is designed to ensure greater efficiency, a more rapid response to threats, and a more cohesive national security effort. The president indicated that this move is intended to streamline operations and maximize effectiveness.

President Tinubu explicitly detailed the scope of these intensified measures. He stated that the administration’s approach will be all-encompassing, targeting not only the direct perpetrators of violence but also those who facilitate and finance their operations. This includes individuals and entities providing support that enables criminal activities.

“Under this new architecture, any armed group or gun-wielding non-state actors operating outside state authority will be regarded as terrorists,” the president reiterated. He specifically named bandits, militias, armed gangs, armed robbers, violent cults, forest-based armed groups, and foreign-linked mercenaries as targets for stricter enforcement.

The president assured the nation that his government is steadfastly committed to restoring law and order throughout Nigeria. He pledged significant investment in security infrastructure and operations, with a clear emphasis on accountability for tangible results. Security spending, he emphasized, must demonstrably deliver improvements in public safety.

“We will invest in security with clear accountability for outcomes—because security spending must deliver results,” he added. The priority will remain on enhancing the fighting capabilities of the armed forces and other security agencies. This includes equipping personnel with cutting-edge technology and hardware to boost their effectiveness.

This policy shift reflects a determination to confront the multifaceted security challenges facing Nigeria with a unified and uncompromising stance. The administration aims to create an environment where armed groups operating outside the law can no longer function with impunity, thereby fostering greater national stability and citizen security.

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Keywords: Nigeria security policy, President Tinubu, banditry, cults, mercenaries, counterterrorism doctrine, national security, armed non-state actors