Nigeria’s federal government has officially designated kidnappers and violent armed groups as terrorists, signaling a tougher response to widespread abductions and community attacks across the country.
The announcement was made on Monday by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, during the government’s end-of-year press briefing in Abuja.
Authorities say the move reflects the changing nature of insecurity, particularly in rural and semi-urban areas, where criminal gangs now employ tactics such as mass kidnappings, coordinated village attacks, and forced displacement.
By classifying these groups as terrorists, the government says security agencies can deploy full counterterrorism measures to curb violence that has disrupted farming, worsened food insecurity, and displaced thousands.
