President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has issued a strong warning to bandits, kidnappers, and sponsors of terrorism across the country, directing them to surrender or face the full force of the Nigerian government.
Speaking during his Democracy Day address on Friday, the President said the Federal Government remains open to rehabilitating repentant fighters but cautioned that the opportunity for surrender would not last indefinitely.
“To bandits, kidnappers, and sponsors of terror: surrender or face the full force of the Nigerian State. These windows of surrender will not remain open forever. No mercy will be shown to those who trade in the blood of Nigerians,” Tinubu declared.
The President highlighted ongoing efforts by his administration to tackle insecurity, including increased recruitment into the military and police, improved intelligence gathering, and sustained offensives against terrorist groups.
According to him, Nigeria’s security strategy has evolved beyond conventional military exercises with international partners to more targeted counter-terrorism operations. He cited the successful destruction of an ISWAP command centre in Arege, Borno State, as evidence of recent gains.
Tinubu noted that terror-related fatalities have dropped significantly since 2015, while more than 13,000 terrorists were neutralised in the last year. He added that over 124,000 insurgents and their family members have surrendered since 2023 under the Operation Safe Corridor initiative.
Despite these achievements, the President acknowledged that insecurity remains a major challenge, referencing recent schoolchildren abductions in Oyo and Borno states.
“Democracy without security is not solid enough,” he said, noting that his administration had declared a security emergency and approved the recruitment of over 50,000 additional police personnel, alongside thousands of military recruits.
Tinubu further disclosed that the Federal Government allocated N5.41 trillion to defence and security in the 2026 budget, describing it as the highest security allocation in Nigeria’s history.
The President also called on Nigerians to remain united in the fight against crime and insecurity, urging citizens to reject ethnic profiling and divisive narratives.
“Crime has no ethnicity. We must stand united and be assured that the enemies of our nation shall soon be history. We will triumph over terror and continue to build a more prosperous nation,” he said.
