June 12, 2026 | SUNTV Global Channel
President Bola Tinubu has issued a strong warning to bandits, kidnappers, terrorists, and their sponsors, declaring that the Federal Government’s offer of surrender and rehabilitation will not remain available indefinitely.
Speaking during his Democracy Day address on Friday, the President said his administration remains committed to restoring peace and security across the country but warned that criminals who continue to terrorise Nigerians would face severe consequences.
According to Tinubu, Nigeria’s security forces have recorded significant successes in the fight against terrorism through targeted military operations and enhanced intelligence gathering.
The President stated that security agencies have shifted from conventional training exercises with international partners to precision operations aimed at dismantling terrorist networks and strongholds.
He disclosed that the military had successfully weakened the operational capacity of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) and disrupted several terrorist command centres across the country.
Tinubu further claimed that terror-related deaths in Nigeria have dropped by 81 percent since 2015, while more than 13,000 terrorists were neutralised within the last year.
Despite these gains, the President said the government remains open to accepting the surrender of insurgents willing to abandon violence and embrace peace.
“Over 124,000 fighters and their dependents have laid down their arms since 2023 through our deradicalisation and rehabilitation initiatives,” he stated.
The President highlighted the achievements of Operation Safe Corridor, noting that the programme has helped reintegrate thousands of former insurgents into society.
“Every life saved is a victory for democracy,” Tinubu said.
However, he stressed that the government’s policy of rehabilitation has limits and issued a stern warning to those who continue to engage in criminal activities.
“To bandits, kidnappers, and sponsors of terror: surrender now 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 innocent Nigerians,” the President declared.
Tinubu also urged Nigerians not to ethnicise criminality, insisting that insecurity is a national challenge that requires unity and collective action.
“Crime has no ethnicity. We must stand together as one people to defeat those who seek to destabilise our nation,” he added.
The President’s remarks come amid persistent concerns over rising cases of banditry, kidnapping, and terrorist attacks in several parts of the country, despite ongoing military operations and government assurances of improved security.
SUNTV Global Channel will continue to monitor and report developments in Nigeria’s fight against insecurity.
