President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has declared that terror financiers, bandits, kidnappers and other criminal elements threatening Nigeria’s security will face the full force of the law, warning that no mercy will be shown to those who profit from the bloodshed of innocent citizens.
The President made the declaration in his nationwide broadcast to mark Nigeria’s 27th consecutive Democracy Day celebration and his fourth Democracy Day address since assuming office in 2023.
Tinubu said his administration had intensified military operations against insurgents and criminal networks, revealing that more than 13,000 terrorists had been neutralised in the past year.
He issued a stern warning to criminal groups and their sponsors, urging them to surrender or face decisive action from security agencies.
“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,” the President declared.
According to him, Nigeria has shifted from security training partnerships with international allies to precision military operations aimed at dismantling terrorist strongholds.
“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, while over 13,000 terrorists have been neutralised in the past year,” he said.
The President, however, noted that the government remains committed to rehabilitation efforts for repentant insurgents, disclosing that more than 124,000 fighters and their dependents had surrendered under Operation Safe Corridor since 2023.
Tinubu said the Federal Government’s commitment to ending insecurity was reflected in the N5.41 trillion allocated to defence and security in the 2026 budget, the highest security allocation in the nation’s history.
He also disclosed that more than 50,000 additional police officers and thousands of military personnel were being recruited to strengthen the country’s security architecture and bridge existing manpower gaps.
Despite the gains recorded in the fight against terrorism, the President acknowledged that the Democracy Day celebration was overshadowed by the continued captivity of schoolchildren and teachers abducted in Oyo and Borno states.
“Though this year’s mood is dampened by the abduction of our children in Oyo and Borno, we remain hopeful for their safe return. Democracy without security is a mirage,” he said.
Calling for national unity, Tinubu urged Nigerians not to politicise or ethnicise criminality.
“At a time like this, let us not assign blame or point fingers. Crime has no ethnicity. We must stand united and be assured that the enemies of our nation shall soon be history. We will triumph over terror and continue to build a more prosperous nation,” he stated.
On the power sector, the President acknowledged the challenges inherited by his administration, including inadequate generation capacity, weak transmission infrastructure, poor revenue collection and a metering deficit exceeding four million customers.
He highlighted reforms introduced by his government, including the implementation of the Electricity Act, which empowers states to generate, transmit and distribute electricity independently.
Tinubu also revealed that the Presidential Power Sector Task Force had been authorised to raise a N4 trillion bond to settle verified legacy debts, while the Rural Electrification Agency, with support from the World Bank and the African Development Bank, was expanding off-grid and mini-grid electricity projects across underserved communities, educational institutions, markets and healthcare facilities.
“Electricity is a democratic dividend we owe every Nigerian. We intend to deliver it,” he said.
Speaking on the economy, Tinubu said government reforms had boosted federation revenues, improved fiscal transparency and restored investor confidence across key sectors, including agriculture, manufacturing, energy, mining, transportation, technology and the creative industry.
He noted that non-oil exports increased by 21 per cent in the last year, while more than 1,000 small and medium-scale enterprises had been certified for export.
The President added that the National Agricultural Development Fund was implementing a programme to deploy 10,000 tractors over a five-year period to enhance food production nationwide.
While acknowledging the economic hardship being experienced by many Nigerians, Tinubu assured citizens that his administration remained focused on reducing inflation, creating jobs, increasing food production and improving living standards.
“We are moving from uncertainty to stability. The next phase is about accelerating growth and ensuring the benefits are felt in every home, every community and every region. Democracy must be felt in the pocket,” he said.
