President Bola Tinubu has said terrorism in Nigeria is largely fuelled by criminality and violent extremism, urging Nigerians to reject narratives that could deepen divisions and undermine national unity.
The president made this known while addressing concerns over the country’s security situation, stressing that acts of terrorism should not be reduced to ethnic, religious or regional sentiments.
According to Tinubu, criminal gangs and extremist groups exploit existing social and economic challenges to carry out attacks, adding that such elements benefit when Nigerians are divided by misinformation, hate speech and politically motivated narratives.
He warned that framing terrorism along sectional lines weakens the collective resolve needed to confront insecurity and plays into the hands of those determined to destabilise the country.
The president reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to tackling insecurity through strengthened intelligence gathering, improved inter-agency cooperation and the continued modernisation of the armed forces. He also noted that addressing the root causes of terrorism — including poverty, unemployment and social exclusion — remains a key priority of his government.
Tinubu called on citizens, traditional rulers, religious leaders and the media to promote unity and responsible communication, urging them to support security agencies with timely and credible information.
He maintained that Nigeria can overcome terrorism and other security challenges if citizens remain united and refuse to allow criminals and extremists to exploit divisions within the country.
