President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has said terrorism-related deaths in Nigeria have declined by 81 per cent since 2015, attributing the development to intensified military operations, improved international collaboration and sustained counter-insurgency efforts.
Tinubu disclosed on Thursday in his Democracy Day address titled “Our Generation Must Secure Prosperity,” where he highlighted security as a critical pillar of democratic governance and national development.
The President acknowledged that the recent abduction of schoolchildren in Borno and Oyo states had cast a shadow over this year’s Democracy Day celebrations, but expressed optimism that the victims would be rescued safely.
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According to him, the Federal Government has continued to prioritise security through increased funding and personnel recruitment. He noted that the 2026 budget allocated N5.41 trillion to defence and security, the highest security allocation in the country’s history, while more than 50,000 police officers and thousands of military recruits have been approved for recruitment.
Tinubu said Nigeria’s security strategy has evolved from training partnerships with allies to more sophisticated intelligence-driven and precision-targeting operations. He cited the recent degradation of an ISWAP command centre in Arege, Borno State, as evidence of the military’s growing operational effectiveness. (
The President further revealed that over 13,000 terrorists had been neutralised in the past year, while more than 124,000 insurgents and their dependants had surrendered under the Federal Government’s de-radicalisation and rehabilitation programme, Operation Safe Corridor.
While reiterating the government’s willingness to accept the surrender of repentant fighters, Tinubu warned bandits, kidnappers and sponsors of terrorism that the opportunity for surrender would not remain open indefinitely.
“To bandits, kidnappers and sponsors of terror: surrender or face the full force of the Nigerian State,” he declared, stressing that those who continue to threaten national security would be dealt with decisively.
The President maintained that the administration would continue to strengthen partnerships with international allies and invest in security infrastructure to safeguard lives, protect communities and consolidate the gains recorded against terrorism and insurgency.
