- Says FG going after terrorists’ cash, financial ruin for warlords
- Assures administration working to address biting hardship among Nigerians
BY EDMOND ODOK – President Bola Tinubu has declared total war on Nigeria’s terror networks, vowing that there will be “no mercy” for those funding or executing mass kidnappings and killing of innocent citizens across the country.
Accordingly, he has issued a final ultimatum to bandits, kidnappers and their sponsors to surrender immediately or or face the full force of the Nigerian state going forward.
This is as President also expressed confidence that the war against terrorism has recorded significant success with the current administration having already neutralised 13,000 terrorists in the last one year.
President Tinubu, who made the declaration in his nation-wide address on the occasion of Nigeria’s 27th consecutive Democracy Day celebration, his fourth as President since 2023, said the government will not show mercy to terror purveyors who enable the killing and kidnappings across the country.
While expressing relief that terror-related deaths has declined by 81 per cent since 2015, the President admitted that this year’s Democracy Day celebration is weighed down by the continued hostage situation involving school children and teachers kidnapped in Oyo and Borno states, which has now entered its fourth week.
He said: “Though this year’s mood is dampened by the abduction of our children in Oyo and Borno, we remain hopeful for their safe return. Democracy without security is a mirage. That is why this administration declared a security emergency and approved the recruitment of more than 50,000 new police officers and thousands of military recruits.
“Our 2026 budget commits N5.41tn, our largest ever, to defence and security. Our administration is ever ready to do much more to secure our people,”
The President also said with his administration having moved beyond training with allies to precision operations on the ground, there will be no hiding place for terrorists, bandits and other criminal elements, declaring further: “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.
“We have moved from training with our allies, the United States, France and other European countries, to precision targeting. In Arege, Borno State, we degraded ISWAP’s command centre.”
On the claims that terror-related deaths are down by 81 per cent since 2015, President Tinubu said: “Over 13,000 terrorists have been neutralised in the past year”, adding that while force is being used to dismantle terror, the government will continue to pair robust military action with the promise of rehabilitation as the path to redemption remains an equally accessible alternative for those willing to lay down their arms
Also disclosing that “Over 124,000 fighters and dependents have laid down their arms since 2023 through Operation Safe Corridor,” President Tinubu said the N5.41 trillion security allocation in the 2026 budget was a statement of national will to crush the current wave of terrorism, which has raged since 2009.
According to him, beyond the budget, the current administration had approved the recruitment of more than 50,000 new police officers and thousands of military recruits, a development designed to address the persistent gap between the number of security personnel and the security demands of over 230 million Nigerians.
On the fact that democracy without security is a mirage, the President said, “That is why this administration declared a security emergency and approved the recruitment of more than 50,000 new police officers and thousands of military recruits. Our 2026 budget commits N5.41tn, our largest ever, to defence and security. Our administration is ever ready to do much more to secure our people”
Condemning attempts to frame Nigeria’s security battles in ethno-religious terms, the President made a passionate and urgent rallying cry in challenging all citizens to rise above divisive narratives and embrace national solidarity which is essential to defeating the threat, saying: “At a time like this, let us not assign blame or point fingers. 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”.
President Tinubu, whose address also acknowledged that hardship is persisting in the country, said though, “many Nigerians still face economic hardship. We remain focused on reducing inflation, expanding food production, creating jobs, improving living standards, rebuilding confidence in our economy, and creating conditions for sustainable prosperity.
“We are moving from uncertainty to stability. The next phase is about accelerating growth and ensuring the benefits are felt in every home, every community, and every region. We believe that Democracy must be felt in the pocket.”
Further tying his assurance of better days and years ahead for Nigerians, the President said in the broader economy, the federation revenues had risen, providing states and local governments with more resources, fiscal transparency had improved, and investor confidence had returned across agriculture, energy, manufacturing, technology, mining, transportation and the creative industries.
Additionally, he said non-oil exports grew by 21 per cent last year, over 1,000 small and medium enterprises had been certified for export, and the National Agricultural Development Fund was deploying 10,000 tractors over five years.
