Abuja, Dec. 19, 2025 (NAN) — President Bola Tinubu on Friday signalled a tougher crackdown on armed groups and individuals who finance, harbour, or facilitate violent crimes across Nigeria.
Addressing a joint session of the National Assembly during the presentation of the 2026 Appropriation Bill of N58.18 trillion, Tinubu stated that all armed groups operating outside state authority would be treated as terrorists. He emphasised that every naira allocated to security in the 2026 budget must yield tangible improvements in public safety.
“National security is the foundation of development,” Tinubu said, highlighting that without security and infrastructure, investment, education, public health, productivity, jobs, and enterprise growth would all be constrained.
The 2026 budget strengthens support for modernisation of the Armed Forces, intelligence-driven policing, joint security operations, border security, technology-enabled surveillance, and community-based peacebuilding. Tinubu promised sustained investment in security with clear accountability for outcomes.
He noted that priority would be given to increasing the fighting capability of the Armed Forces and other security agencies, including provision of cutting-edge equipment and hardware.
“We will usher in a new era of criminal justice. We will show no mercy to those who commit or support acts of terrorism, banditry, kidnapping for ransom, and other violent crimes,” Tinubu said.
Under the new national counterterrorism doctrine, all armed groups—including bandits, militias, armed gangs, armed robbers, violent cults, forest-based armed collectives, and foreign-linked mercenaries—will be targeted. The president also warned that financiers, facilitators, and political or community sponsors of violence would face prosecution.
Of the N58.18 trillion 2026 budget, N5.41 trillion is allocated to defence and security, N3.56 trillion to infrastructure, N3.52 trillion to education, and N2.48 trillion to the health sector.
Ifeoluwa Okonkwo ✔
Godwin Okafor is the Publisher & CEO of Naija247news Media Group LLC, an independent investigative news platform delivering accurate, data-driven reporting on Nigerian and global politics, economy, finance, and business. Founded in October 2010, Naija247news specializes in developmental journalism, providing timely insights and analysis to readers across Nigeria and the diaspora.
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