President Bola Tinubu has pledged that no mercy will be extended to those responsible for terrorism, killings, and kidnappings across Nigeria.
Issuing a stern ultimatum to bandits, kidnappers, and the sponsors of terror, Tinubu warned them to surrender or face the full might of the Nigerian state. He revealed that his administration had neutralised over 13,000 terrorists in the past year alone.
Speaking during his national address to mark Nigeria’s 27th consecutive Democracy Day—and his fourth address as President since 2023. Tinubu noted that terror-related deaths had fallen by 81 percent since 2015. However, he acknowledged that this year’s celebration was subdued by the ongoing captivity of schoolchildren abducted in Oyo and Borno states.
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, Tinubu declared.
He highlighted that Nigeria had moved beyond training with international allies to conducting precision operations on the ground, citing the degradation of ISWAP’s command centre in Arege, Borno State.
Alongside the forceful approach, Tinubu emphasized the government’s commitment to rehabilitation, noting that over 124,000 fighters and their dependents had surrendered since 2023 through Operation Safe Corridor.
Tinubu underscored the government’s commitment to security, pointing to the record N5.41 trillion allocation for security in the 2026 budget.
Beyond financial commitments, he announced the recruitment of over 50,000 new police officers and thousands of military personnel to address the gap between security needs and personnel for Nigeria’s population of over 230 million.
Despite 27 years of uninterrupted democracy, Tinubu admitted that this year’s Democracy Day spirit was dampened by the ongoing abductions of schoolchildren and teachers, now in their fourth week.
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.
He called for national unity, urging Nigerians to reject ethnic or religious interpretations of crime, and to stand together against those threatening the nation.
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, Tinubu stated.
Addressing the chronic power crisis, Tinubu outlined the challenges he inherited—generation shortfalls, unreliable gas supply, fragile transmission infrastructure, and distribution companies burdened by losses and a metering deficit of over four million.
He noted that the sector generated less than its installed capacity, transmitted even less, and collected insufficient revenue.
In response, Tinubu said he signed the Electricity Act granting states the authority to generate, transmit, and distribute power; empowered the Presidential Power Sector Task Force to raise a N4 trillion bond to settle verified legacy debts; and directed the Rural Electrification Agency—supported by the World Bank and African Development Bank—to deploy off-grid and mini-grid power to underserved communities, universities, markets, and hospitals.
Electricity is a democratic dividend we owe every Nigerian. We intend to deliver it, he affirmed.
On the economy, Tinubu highlighted improvements in federation revenues, increased resources to states and local governments, greater fiscal transparency, and renewed investor confidence across key sectors.
He reported a 21 percent growth in non-oil exports last year, with over 1,000 SMEs certified for export and the National Agricultural Development Fund set to deploy 10,000 tractors over five years.
Nevertheless, Tinubu acknowledged that economic hardship persists. Many Nigerians still face economic hardship. We remain focused on reducing inflation, expanding food production, creating jobs, improving living standards, rebuilding confidence in our economy, and creating conditions for sustainable prosperity.
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. We believe that democracy must be felt in the pocket,” he concluded.
