Fadojoe Hails Tinubu for Declaring Bandits Terrorists, Urges Decisive Military Action

By Our Reporter

A former Labour Party presidential aspirant, Faduri Oluwadare Joseph, popularly known as Fadojoe, has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for formally designating bandits, violent cults and other armed groups as terrorists, describing the move as a step in the right direction. He, however, stressed that the declaration must be matched with decisive and corresponding military action to meaningfully address Nigeria’s worsening insecurity.

Fadojoe’s position was made known in a statement issued on Saturday by Rev. Emmanuel Olorunmagba, National Director of Media and Publicity of the Rescue Movement For New Nigeria, on behalf of the group’s leader and its humanitarian arm, Rescue The Vulnerable Initiative.

While applauding the president’s decision, Fadojoe cautioned that mere classification without strong enforcement could amount to empty rhetoric. According to him, “Designating bandits as terrorists is the right step in the right direction, but such designation without upholding capital punishment for acts of terrorism, including the sponsors, will end up like mere usual rhetorics.”

He warned that half measures could fuel public distrust, adding that insecurity must be confronted head-on in line with the government’s constitutional responsibility to protect lives and property.

“The aim should be to give it all it takes to end the menace of insecurity in the country, as part of the constitutional responsibilities of government to ensure the protection of law-abiding citizens,” he said.

Fadojoe also raised concerns about funding and accountability in the security sector, referencing the proposed ₦5.41 trillion allocation for security and defence in the ₦58.1 trillion 2026 budget. While acknowledging that the allocation appears significant, he questioned its effective utilization.

“This amount being the biggest sectoral allocation in the budget looks good, but the pertinent question is whether it will be judiciously utilized for the purpose it is budgeted for, or whether it will find its way into individual accounts,” he stated. He warned that misappropriation could worsen insecurity, as “beneficiaries may not want insecurity to end so they can continue to smile to the banks, while innocent citizens pay dearly with their lives.”

Reiterating his position, Fadojoe emphasized that Nigerians would only take the terrorist designation seriously when it is backed by visible and effective military action. “It is only when Nigerians see appropriate military actions backing up such declaration that we can truly take it seriously,” he noted.

He further cautioned against the misuse of the designation for political purposes, urging the government to strictly adhere to the scope outlined by the president.

“The designation must be limited to armed groups and gun-wielding non-state actors operating outside state authority-bandits, militias, armed gangs, armed robbers, violent cults, forest-based armed groups and foreign-linked mercenaries-and not be turned into a weapon of persecution against the opposition or perceived critics,” he said.

Fadojoe concluded by underscoring the importance of democratic principles, stating that “in a democracy, opposition and constructive criticism help keep governments at all levels on their toes.”