Democracy Day: Tinubu claims 81% drop in terror deaths, says 13,000 terrorists killed in 1 year

President Bola Tinubu has declared that Nigeria is making significant progress in the fight against terrorism and banditry, warning criminals to surrender or face the full force of the state.

Speaking during his Democracy Day broadcast on Friday, the President said terror-related deaths had fallen by 81 per cent since 2015, while more than 13,000 terrorists were neutralised in the past year.

Mr Tinubu also revealed that security forces had successfully degraded the command centre of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) in Arege, Borno State, through precision military operations.

According to him, Nigeria’s security strategy has evolved from routine training exercises with international partners to more effective precision targeting operations.

The President said over 124,000 fighters and their dependants had surrendered through the Operation Safe Corridor programme since 2023.

While reiterating the government’s willingness to accept genuine surrender from insurgents, Tinubu warned that the opportunity would not remain open indefinitely.

“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,” he said.

Mr Tinubu disclosed that his administration had declared a security emergency and approved the recruitment of more than 50,000 police officers as well as thousands of military personnel.

He added that the 2026 budget allocated N5.41 trillion to defence and security, the highest in Nigeria’s history.

The President, however, expressed concern over the recent abduction of schoolchildren in Oyo and Borno states, describing the incidents as painful reminders that security remains central to democratic governance.

“Democracy without security is not solid enough,” he stated.

He urged Nigerians to remain united against criminality, stressing that crime had no ethnic or religious identity.