Nigeria Designates Kidnappers and Armed Groups as Terrorists

The Government of Nigeria has officially designated kidnappers and violent armed groups as terrorists, shifting its security strategy from treating mass abductions and rural attacks as conventional crimes to addressing them under counterterrorism frameworks. Minister of Information and National Orientation Mohammed Idris announced the policy during an end-of-year press briefing in Abuja on December 22, 2025.

This reclassification grants security agencies expanded operational powers and improved intelligence sharing. To disrupt criminal hideouts and protect rural communities, the government is deploying trained and equipped forest guards for surveillance and rapid response. Minister Idris noted that any individual or group that terrorizes communities or kidnaps children will now be dealt with as a terrorist.

Addressing 2025 security milestones, the government reported the capture of high-profile international criminals through inter-agency operations, including Abu Barra and the Nigeria-based leader of the Islamic State – West Africa Province. The ISWAP leader and his chief of staff are currently facing prosecution.

Separately, the government stated that diplomatic tensions with the United States have been largely resolved. The friction followed claims by President Donald Trump regarding the genocide of Christians in Nigeria, but officials indicated that respectful engagement has strengthened the partnership between the two nations.