President Bola Tinubu on Thursday said more than 13,000 terrorists had been neutralised in the past year, while over 124,000 insurgents and their dependants had surrendered since 2023, as his administration intensified efforts to restore security across the country.
The President disclosed this in his Democracy Day address, where he highlighted gains recorded by security agencies in the fight against terrorism, banditry and other violent crimes.
According to him, the government’s security operations have significantly degraded the capacity of terrorist groups, leading to a sharp decline in attacks and fatalities.
Tinubu said terror-related deaths have fallen by 81 per cent since 2015, attributing the development to sustained military pressure and improved intelligence-driven operations.
“We have moved from training with our allies, the United States, France and other European countries, to precision targeting. In Arege, Borno State, we degraded ISWAP’s command centre. Terror-related deaths are down by 81 per cent since 2015. Over 13,000 terrorists have been neutralised in the past year,” he said.
The President also revealed that more than 124,000 fighters and their dependants had laid down their arms since 2023 under Operation Safe Corridor, the Federal Government’s deradicalisation and reintegration programme.
Despite the successes, Tinubu warned that the government would continue to pursue terrorists, bandits, kidnappers and their sponsors until they are completely defeated.
“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. No mercy will be shown to those who trade in the blood of Nigerians,” he declared.
The President said insecurity remains a major challenge confronting the country, noting that recent abductions of schoolchildren in Oyo and Borno states had cast a shadow over this year’s Democracy Day celebrations.
He, however, assured Nigerians that his administration remained committed to securing the release of all abducted victims and protecting lives and property across the country.
Tinubu disclosed that his administration had declared a security emergency and approved the recruitment of more than 50,000 police officers, alongside thousands of military recruits, to strengthen the nation’s security architecture.
He added that the 2026 budget allocated N5.41 trillion to defence and security, the highest such allocation in Nigeria’s history.
According to him, the increased funding is aimed at enhancing the operational capacity of security agencies and sustaining ongoing offensives against criminal elements.
The President urged Nigerians to remain united in confronting insecurity, stressing that criminality should not be viewed through ethnic, religious or regional lenses.
“Crime has no ethnicity. We must stand united and be assured that the enemies of our nation shall soon be history,” he said.
Tinubu also commended members of the armed forces, police, intelligence agencies, traditional rulers and community leaders for their contributions to maintaining peace and stability across the country.
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