Presidential hopeful of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, has vowed to formally designate bandits and kidnapping syndicates as terrorist organisations if elected president in 2027, declaring that Nigeria can no longer afford to tolerate widespread insecurity and organised criminality.
Speaking at the Mohammed Hayatu-Deen Townhall organised by Team Rebuild in Abuja on Friday, the former banker and economist promised a sweeping crackdown on violent criminal groups, saying his administration would adopt a zero-tolerance approach to insecurity from the first day in office.
Hayatu-Deen said the growing wave of kidnappings, bandit attacks, and violent crimes across the country had exposed the weakness of state institutions and undermined public confidence in government.
Nigeria has in recent years witnessed an escalation in armed banditry, mass abductions, terrorist attacks, and communal violence, particularly in parts of the North-West, North-Central, and North-East. Thousands of citizens have been displaced, while schools, farms, highways, and rural communities continue to come under repeated attacks from criminal groups.
Security experts and civil society organisations have repeatedly criticised the Federal Government’s response to insecurity, arguing that weak coordination, poor intelligence gathering, and the absence of deterrent prosecutions have emboldened criminal networks.
Addressing party supporters and stakeholders at the town hall, Hayatu-Deen said the country must stop “normalising fear, criminality, and lawlessness.”
According to him, insecurity now represents one of the gravest threats to Nigeria’s survival, economic stability, and national cohesion.
“That is why, on Day One of my administration, bandits and kidnapping syndicates will be formally designated as terrorist organisations,” Hayatu-Deen declared.
“Every bandit and every kidnapper will be prosecuted under the Terrorism Act. The assets of individuals and networks financing criminality will be identified and frozen. And the era of negotiating endlessly with violent criminal networks must come to an end,” he added.
Under Nigeria’s Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, individuals or groups designated as terrorists face stricter prosecution measures, while authorities are empowered to seize assets, disrupt financing channels, and impose heavier criminal penalties.
Hayatu-Deen argued that successive governments had failed to confront insecurity with the urgency and discipline required, lamenting that millions of Nigerians now live under fear while economic activities continue to suffer.
He described the security crisis as both a national tragedy and a reflection of failed leadership.
According to him, no meaningful economic development can take place in an environment where citizens are unable to move freely or invest confidently.
The ADC aspirant also shared a deeply personal account of how insecurity had affected his family, revealing that his sister was once abducted and held captive for three years.
“I grew up in Borno State. My family has experienced the painful realities of insecurity. My sister was kidnapped and held for three years,” he said.
“I understand what insecurity does to a family, to a community, and to the confidence of an entire nation.”
Borno State remains one of the epicentres of Nigeria’s prolonged insurgency crisis, having endured years of attacks linked to Boko Haram and other armed groups. The conflict has left thousands dead and displaced millions across the North-East region.
Hayatu-Deen maintained that Nigeria’s security challenges could not be solved through rhetoric or temporary political responses, insisting that disciplined leadership, professional law enforcement, and economic reforms must work together.
He argued that rising unemployment, poverty, and hopelessness continue to fuel criminal recruitment and violent extremism.
According to him, efforts to restore national security must go hand in hand with policies capable of expanding economic opportunities for young Nigerians.
“Jobs also help reduce the supply of recruits available to criminal gangs, terrorists, and violent networks,” he stated.
As part of his broader economic recovery agenda, the ADC presidential hopeful unveiled plans for a National Jobs Programme designed to create public works opportunities in vulnerable communities and stimulate employment nationwide.
He also promised incentives for businesses that create jobs and expand local economic activity.
Hayatu-Deen said Nigerians were increasingly tired of political slogans and excuses, insisting that citizens now want competent leadership capable of producing measurable outcomes.
“Nigerians are asking for solutions. They are asking for leadership that understands the pain that they are going through and has the experience, discipline, and capacity required to fix what is broken,” he said.
The town hall attracted members of the FCT ADC State Working Committee, party stakeholders and supporters, many of whom endorsed Hayatu-Deen’s presidential aspiration and praised his emphasis on security reform, economic recovery, and accountable leadership.
Reaffirming his ambition, the former banker said his campaign would focus on presenting Nigerians with “serious leadership and practical solutions,” adding that the ADC must position itself as a credible alternative capable of restoring trust in governance and rebuilding national hope ahead of the 2027 general election.
The PUNCH