FG Classifies Kidnappers, Armed Groups as Terrorists

The Federal Government has officially classified kidnappers and violent armed groups as terrorists, marking a shift in how such crimes will be handled across the country.

The Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris, announced the decision during the government’s end-of-year press briefing in Abuja, saying it would enhance intelligence sharing and allow faster, more coordinated security responses.

Idris said kidnapping and armed violence would no longer be treated as ordinary crimes but as acts of terrorism, with tougher legal and operational consequences.

However, security analyst Kabiru Adamu disagreed, arguing that under Nigerian law, only the courts have the authority to designate a group as a terrorist organization, not the executive arm of government.