President Bola Tinubu has declared that his administration will show no mercy to terrorists, bandits, kidnappers and those who finance or support violent crimes, warning that anyone who refuses to surrender will face the full force of the law.
Speaking during his Democracy Day address marking Nigeria’s 27 years of uninterrupted democratic rule, the President said his government had intensified military operations and recorded major successes against insurgents across the country.
He revealed that more than 13,000 terrorists had been eliminated within the last year, while over 124,000 fighters and their family members had surrendered through the Federal Government’s deradicalisation programme, Operation Safe Corridor, since 2023.
Tinubu stressed that the window for surrender would not remain open indefinitely.
“To bandits, kidnappers and sponsors of terror: surrender or face the full force of the Nigerian State. No mercy will be shown to those who trade in the blood of Nigerians,” he said.
According to the President, Nigeria has shifted from relying mainly on foreign military training to carrying out precision operations in collaboration with allies such as the United States, France and other European nations. He cited the successful operation that dismantled an ISWAP command centre in Arege, Borno State.
Tinubu stated that terror-related deaths in Nigeria had fallen by 81 per cent since 2015, although he admitted that the mood of this year’s Democracy Day celebration had been overshadowed by the continued captivity of schoolchildren abducted in Oyo and Borno states.
He assured Nigerians that efforts were ongoing to secure their release and emphasised that security remains the foundation of democracy.
“Democracy without security is a mirage,” he said.
The President disclosed that his administration had approved the recruitment of more than 50,000 police officers and thousands of military personnel to strengthen the country's security architecture.
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He also noted that the 2026 budget allocated ₦5.41 trillion to defence and security, describing it as the largest security vote in Nigeria’s history and a demonstration of the government’s determination to end terrorism.
Calling for national unity, Tinubu urged Nigerians not to ethnicise or politicise crime.
“Crime has no ethnicity. We must stand united and be assured that the enemies of our nation shall soon be history,” he said.
On the economy, Tinubu acknowledged that many Nigerians were still experiencing hardship but maintained that his administration was focused on reducing inflation, boosting food production, creating jobs and improving living standards.
He said the country was moving from uncertainty to stability and that the next phase would focus on ensuring economic growth translates into tangible benefits for ordinary Nigerians.
“Democracy must be felt in the pocket,” the President said.
