Yemi Obafemi
President Bola Tinubu has vowed to intensify the fight against terrorism, banditry and kidnapping, warning criminal groups to surrender or face the full force of the law.
In his Democracy Day address on Friday, Tinubu said security remained a top priority for his administration, especially following the recent abduction of children in Oyo and Borno states.
“Democracy without security is not solid enough,” he said, adding that the Federal Government had declared a security emergency and approved the recruitment of more than 50,000 police officers alongside thousands of military recruits.
The President disclosed that the 2026 budget allocated N5.41 trillion to defence and security, the highest security expenditure in the country’s history.
According to him, Nigerian forces have recorded significant gains against insurgents and terrorists, including the destruction of an ISWAP command centre in Arege, Borno State.
Tinubu said terror-related deaths had fallen by 81 per cent since 2015, while more than 13,000 terrorists were neutralised in the past year. He added that over 124,000 fighters and their dependents 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. These windows of surrender will not remain open forever,” he warned.
The President called on Nigerians not to politicise insecurity or attribute criminal activities to any ethnic group, stressing that national unity was essential in overcoming security challenges.
“At a time like this, let us not assign blame or point fingers. Crime has no ethnicity,” he said.
Tinubu also announced national honours for dozens of pro-democracy activists, journalists, politicians and military officers who played key roles during the June 12 struggle and the fight against military rule.
In addition, he revealed that the Federal Government had approved the renaming of the Institute of Petroleum Studies in Kaduna as the General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua University of Geological Sciences and Engineering Technology in honour of the late military officer and democracy advocate.
He concluded by urging Nigerians to remain hopeful despite current challenges, saying the country would continue to advance democratic governance while building a more secure and prosperous future.
