FG to Unveil Redesigned Counterterrorism Doctrine Based on Unified Command, Intelligence and Community Stability
By Chidi Omeje
The Federal Government is set to roll out a redesigned national counterterrorism doctrine from next year, anchored on unified command, enhanced intelligence gathering and community stability.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu disclosed this on Wednesday during the presentation of the 2026 Appropriation Bill at a joint sitting of the National Assembly, describing the initiative as a comprehensive reset of Nigeria’s national security architecture.
According to the President, the new doctrine represents a holistic redesign of the country’s counterterrorism framework, integrating unified command structures, intelligence-led operations, community stabilization and counter-insurgency strategies. He said the reforms are intended to fundamentally transform how Nigeria confronts terrorism and other forms of violent crime.
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Under the new security architecture, Tinubu announced that any armed group or gun-wielding non-state actor operating outside the authority of the state will henceforth be classified as a terrorist. This designation, he said, will apply to bandits, militias, armed gangs, criminal networks in possession of weapons, armed robbers, violent cult groups, forest-based armed collectives and foreign-linked mercenaries.
The President further explained that individuals or groups engaging in violence for political, ethnic, financial or sectarian objectives will also fall under the terrorist classification. Similarly, any group or individual involved in extorting communities, kidnapping civilians, or occupying or attempting to occupy territory within Nigeria will be treated as terrorists.
“The defining principle is simple,” Tinubu said. “If you wield lethal weapons and operate outside the authority of the state, you are a terrorist.”
Beyond armed actors, the new doctrine will also target enablers of terrorism. According to the President, financiers, money handlers, harbourers, informants, ransom facilitators and negotiators linked to terrorist groups will be classified as terrorists. This categorisation will also extend to political protectors, intermediaries, transporters, arms suppliers and operators of safe houses.
The redesigned doctrine, Tinubu added, underscores the administration’s resolve to dismantle violent networks, cut off their support systems and restore lasting peace and stability across the country.
