Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
President Bola Tinubu has declared that Nigeria is achieving significant breakthroughs in its long-running battle against terrorism and banditry. In a nationwide broadcast on Friday, June 12, 2026, to mark the country's 27th Democracy Day, the President revealed that terror-related deaths have dropped by 81 percent since 2015, while security forces have neutralized over 13,000 terrorists in the past year alone. He attributed these gains to enhanced military training with international partners, a strategic shift from training exercises to precision targeting, and a record financial commitment to defence.
The President announced that Nigerian security forces had successfully degraded a major command centre belonging to the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) in Arege, Borno State. The destruction of this strategic hub is a significant blow to the terrorist network's operational capabilities in the North-East, a region that has been the epicentre of the conflict for over a decade. Tinubu also stated that his administration would continue to maintain an open door for surrender to those willing to lay down their arms. He noted that over 124,000 fighters and their dependants have surrendered since 2023 under Operation Safe Corridor, the government’s deradicalisation and reintegration programme.
Tinubu disclosed that the 2026 budget allocates a record N5.41 trillion to defence and security, the largest security allocation in Nigeria's history. Alongside this financial push, the government has approved the recruitment of more than 50,000 new police officers and thousands of military personnel. This move is part of a comprehensive strategy to boost manpower, improve intelligence gathering, and enhance the rapid response capabilities of security agencies across the nation. The President warned remaining terrorists, bandits, kidnappers, and their financiers to surrender or face the "full force of the Nigerian State," adding that "our administration is ever ready to do much more to secure our people."
The claimed 81 percent reduction in terror-related deaths since 2015 reflects a baseline taken from the peak of the insurgency a decade ago when Boko Haram controlled vast territories. While progress is acknowledged, some security experts caution that lower death tolls do not equate to complete stability, as criminal kidnapping and banditry remain prevalent in the North-West and parts of the North-Central region. The figures for surrendered combatants, however, are well-documented and are widely seen as a result of sustained military pressure on the insurgents. The Democracy Day address marks President Tinubu's fourth such speech since assuming office in 2023, and his administration continues to prioritise security at the core of its governance strategy.
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