President Bola Tinubu has declared that bandits, violent cult groups, kidnappers, foreign-linked mercenaries, and other armed non-state actors will henceforth be treated as terrorists under a new national security framework.

The president made this known on Friday while presenting the 2026 budget proposal to a joint session of the National Assembly in Abuja.

According to Mr. Tinubu, the new security architecture will expand the state’s response to violent crime by targeting not only perpetrators, but also their financiers and enablers.

“Under this new architecture, any armed group or gun-wielding non-state actors operating outside state authority will be regarded as terrorists,” the former governor of Lagos State told lawmakers.

“Bandits, militias, armed gangs, armed robbers, violent cults, forest-based armed groups, and foreign-linked mercenaries will all be targeted.

“We will go after all those who perpetrate violence for political or sectarian ends, along with those who finance and facilitate their evil schemes.”

He said the doctrine would “fundamentally change how we confront terrorism and other violent crimes” across the country.

Nigeria has in recent months witnessed a resurgence of violent crimes, including mass abductions, banditry, and attacks by armed groups in several regions.

Despite the growing security challenges, the president said his administration remains resolute in its determination to restore peace and order, declaring that criminals would receive “no mercy”.

“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,” Mr. Tinubu said.

He reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to sustained investment in security and the strengthening of the Armed Forces and other security agencies.

“To secure our country, our priority will remain on increasing the fighting capability of our armed forces and other security agencies, and boosting the effectiveness of our fighting forces with cutting-edge equipment and other hardware,” he added.

To support this stance, the president earmarked ₦5.41 trillion for defence and security in the proposed ₦58.18 trillion 2026 budget—the largest allocation to any single sector.