President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has formally designated all armed groups and individuals operating outside the authority of the Nigerian state as terrorists, signalling a tougher and more coordinated approach to tackling insecurity across the country.
The declaration, made on December 19, 2025, forms part of a broader overhaul of Nigeria’s national security architecture aimed at confronting insurgency, banditry, organised crime, and communal violence. According to the President, the era of tolerance for armed non-state actors and their sponsors is over.
Under the new framework, armed non-state actors include bandits, militias, violent cult groups, armed gangs, forest-based criminal networks, and foreign-linked mercenaries. The designation also extends to individuals and networks that support such groups, including political sponsors, arms suppliers, logistics providers, transporters, and operators of safe houses.
Categories of Armed Non-State Actors
The government identified several categories of concern, including:
Bandits, involved in kidnapping, cattle rustling, and attacks on rural communities, particularly in the North-West; Violent cult groups, engaged in ritual killings, extortion, and urban gang violence; Ethnic and communal militias, often formed as self-defence groups but involved in offensive operations; Armed criminal gangs, responsible for robbery, kidnappings for ransom, and organised violence; Forest-based criminal groups, operating from remote areas to conduct ambushes, smuggling, and abductions; and Foreign-linked mercenaries, reportedly involved in local conflicts and cross-border criminal activities.
Major Armed Groups in Nigeria
Security analysts note that Nigeria’s security challenges involve multiple armed groups operating across regions. These include Islamist insurgents such as Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) in the North-East; bandit and armed herder networks in parts of the North-West and North-Central; militant groups in the Niger Delta; and separatist-linked armed elements in the South-East.
Urban cult gangs, forest-based kidnapping syndicates in the South-West, and foreign-linked criminal networks from the Sahel region also feature prominently in the country’s complex security landscape.
The declaration aligns with the 2026 Federal Budget, which allocates ₦5.41 trillion to defence and security. The government says the funding will support modernisation of the armed forces, intelligence-led operations, border security, and coordinated action against terrorism and organised crime.
President Tinubu has reiterated that the new security doctrine will be enforced without exception, warning that all armed groups operating outside state authority will be treated as terrorists under Nigerian law.