President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has issued a strong warning to armed groups across the country, declaring that bandits, kidnappers, and terror sponsors must surrender or face the full force of the Nigerian state.
The President said this during his national address to mark Nigeria’s 27th Democracy Day celebration on Friday.
Tinubu said the government has opened a pathway for surrender and rehabilitation for insurgents, but insisted that the opportunity would not remain indefinitely.
He pointed to ongoing military operations and intensified security reforms as evidence that the state is both engaging and confronting threats simultaneously.
He noted that over 124,000 fighters and their dependents have laid down arms since 2023 under the Operation Safe Corridor framework, while security forces continue targeted operations against terror networks.
He also referenced recent battlefield gains, including the degradation of insurgent command structures in parts of the North-East and a reported decline in terror-related deaths compared to previous years.
Reaffirming the government’s position, Tinubu warned that criminal groups who continue violence against civilians will face decisive military action, as the administration expands recruitment into the armed forces and strengthens national security funding.
He highlighted the declaration of a security emergency and the approval of more than 50,000 new police recruits alongside additional military personnel, alongside a multi-trillion-naira defence allocation in the 2026 budget.
The president also addressed the emotional toll of recent mass abductions in Oyo and Borno States, assuring Nigerians that efforts were ongoing to secure the release of the victims.
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 not solid enough. 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 N5.41 trillion—our largest ever—to defence and security. Our administration is ever ready to do much more to secure our people.
“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. Terror-related deaths are down by 81% since 2015. Over 13,000 terrorists have been neutralised in the past year. But we also keep the door of surrender open. Over 124,000 fighters and dependents have laid down their arms since 2023 through Operation Safe Corridor.
“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.
“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.”
