President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Friday issued a stern warning to terrorists, bandits and kidnappers, declaring that the era of leniency was ending as his administration intensified efforts to secure the country.
In his 2026 Democracy Day address, Tinubu said the Federal Government had committed a record N5.41 trillion to defence and security, recruited over 50,000 police officers and expanded military operations against insurgents.
The President revealed that terror-related deaths had dropped significantly, while more than 13,000 terrorists were neutralised in the past year.
He also disclosed that over 124,000 insurgents and their dependants had surrendered through Operation Safe Corridor since 2023.
“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,” Tinubu declared.
While expressing concern over the abduction of schoolchildren in Oyo and Borno states, the President assured Nigerians that his administration remained committed to ending insecurity and restoring peace across the country.
He urged citizens to remain united, stressing that crime had no ethnic or religious identity and that Nigeria would ultimately triumph over terrorism.
