President Bola Tinubu has issued a stern warning to bandits, kidnappers, and those financing terrorism, declaring that they must surrender or face the full power of the Nigerian government.
Speaking in his nationwide Democracy Day address on Friday, the President said the opportunity for criminal groups to lay down their arms would not remain available indefinitely.
“To bandits, kidnappers, and sponsors of terror: surrender or face the full force of the Nigerian State,” he stated, adding that there would be “no mercy” for those responsible for shedding the blood of innocent Nigerians.
Tinubu stressed that the fight against insecurity should not be turned into an ethnic issue, urging citizens to avoid blaming any particular group for criminal activities.
“Crime has no ethnicity,” he said, calling on Nigerians to reject division and instead unite against those threatening the nation’s peace.
The President expressed confidence that the country would eventually overcome terrorism and banditry, assuring citizens that the enemies of Nigeria would be defeated.
“We must stand together and be confident that those who seek to destabilise our nation will soon become history,” he said. “We will triumph over terror and continue building a more prosperous country.”
Tinubu also described the present generation as one with a historic responsibility to secure Nigeria’s future. According to him, while the country’s founding fathers fought for independence and the June 12 movement secured democracy, the current generation must work toward achieving prosperity.
He concluded by urging Nigerians to embrace unity, hope, and optimism instead of division and despair, saying the nation can only progress through a shared commitment to justice, liberty, and opportunity for all.