Over 124,000 bandits surrender in 3 years – Tinubu

President Bola Tinubu has disclosed that more than 124,000 terrorists and their dependants have surrendered to Nigerian authorities since 2023 under the Federal Government’s deradicalisation and reintegration programme, Operation Safe Corridor.

The President made the disclosure on Friday during his Democracy Day address to the nation.

Tinubu said the surrender of the former fighters was part of ongoing efforts to restore peace and stability in parts of the country affected by insurgency and terrorism.

According to him, while the government remains committed to giving repentant fighters an opportunity to abandon violence, security forces will continue to intensify operations against those who refuse to lay down their arms.

“We also keep the door of surrender open. Over 124,000 fighters and dependants have laid down their arms since 2023 through Operation Safe Corridor,” he said.

The President noted that significant gains had been recorded in the fight against terrorism, revealing that terror-related deaths had declined by 81 per cent since 2015.

He added that more than 13,000 terrorists had been neutralised in the past year, while security forces recently dismantled an ISWAP command centre in Arege, Borno State.

Tinubu said his administration had declared a security emergency and approved the recruitment of over 50,000 police officers alongside thousands of military recruits to strengthen the country’s security architecture.

He also disclosed that the Federal Government allocated N5.41 trillion to defence and security in the 2026 budget, describing it as the largest security spending in the nation’s history.

The President, however, warned terrorists, bandits, kidnappers and their sponsors to surrender or face decisive military action.

“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,” Tinubu declared.

Operation Safe Corridor was established as a non-kinetic strategy aimed at rehabilitating, deradicalising and reintegrating former insurgents willing to renounce violence and embrace peaceful coexistence.