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Democracy Day address: Terror financiers will pay dearly, says Tinubu
…issues ultimatum to bandits, kidnappers, their sponsors to surrender or…
President Bola Tinubu has vowed that no mercy will be shown to terror purveyors who enable the killing and kidnapping of innocent Nigerians.
He also issued an ultimatum to bandits, kidnappers and sponsors of terrorism to surrender or face the full force of the Nigerian state, disclosing that his administration had already neutralised over 13,000 terrorists in the past year alone.
Tinubu gave the warning in his national address delivered on the occasion of the country’s 27th consecutive Democracy Day celebration, his fourth as President since 2023.
According to him, although terror-related deaths had declined by 81 per cent since 2015, Friday’s Democracy Day celebration was subdued by the continued captivity of schoolchildren abducted in Oyo and Borno states.
He declared, “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. No mercy will be shown to those who trade in the blood of Nigerians.”
The Nigerian leader said his administration had moved beyond training with allies to precision operations on the ground.
“We have moved from training with our allies, the United States, France and other European countries, to precision targeting.
“In Arege, Borno State, we degraded ISWAP’s command centre.
Terror-related deaths are down by 81 per cent since 2015.
“Over 13,000 terrorists have been neutralised in the past year,” he stated.
Tinubu added that despite the neutralisation of terrorists, the door of rehabilitation remained open alongside the door of force.
“Over 124,000 fighters and dependents have laid down their arms since 2023 through Operation Safe Corridor,” he said.
The N5.41tn security allocation in the 2026 budget, Tinubu said, was a statement of national will to crush the current wave of terrorism, which has raged since 2009.
Beyond the budget, he said his administration had approved the recruitment of more than 50,000 new police officers and thousands of military recruits, which, he revealed, was designed to address the persistent gap between the number of security personnel and the security demands of over 230 million Nigerians.
Tinubu acknowledged that even as the country celebrates 27 years of steady democracy, this year’s festive spirit of Democracy Day was weighed down by the continued hostage situation involving school children and teachers kidnapped in Oyo and Borno states, which has now entered its fourth week.
“Though this year’s mood is dampened by the abduction of our children in Oyo and Borno, we remain hopeful for their safe return. Democracy without security is a mirage.
“That is why this administration declared a security emergency and approved the recruitment of more than 50,000 new police officers and thousands of military recruits.
“Our 2026 budget commits N5.41tn, our largest ever, to defence and security. Our administration is ever ready to do much more to secure our people,” he stated.
He called for national unity in the face of the security challenge, rejecting ethnic or religious framing of criminality and urging Nigerians to do the same.
“At a time like this, let us not assign blame or point fingers. Crime has no ethnicity.
“We must stand united and be assured that the enemies of our nation shall soon be history.
“We will triumph over terror and continue to build a more prosperous nation,” he declared.
On the intermittent power crisis of the past three years, the President explained the scale of the challenge he inherited and his response so far.
He said by 2023, the sector was “characterised by chronic generation shortfalls, an unreliable gas supply, and transmission infrastructure so fragile that it could not evacuate available power. Distribution companies were burdened by massive losses and a metering deficit of over four million.
“The result was a sector that generated less than the 13,500 megawatts installed capacity, a sector that transmitted less than it generated, distributed less than it transmitted, and collected revenue far below what it needed to sustain itself,” he added.
Tinubu said in response, he signed the Electricity Act, granting states authority to generate, transmit and distribute power, authorised the Presidential Power Sector Task Force to raise a N4tn bond to settle verified legacy debts, and directed the Rural Electrification Agency, supported by the World Bank and the African Development Bank, to deploy off-grid and mini-grid power to underserved communities, universities, markets and hospitals.
He explained, “To address the problems besetting the sector, I signed the Electricity Act, which grants states authority to generate, transmit, and distribute power.
“The Presidential Power Sector Task Force is working hard to reduce the metering deficit. It has also been authorised to raise N4tn bond to settle verified legacy debts.
“The Rural Electrification Agency, supported by the World Bank and the African Development Bank, has deployed off-grid and mini-grid power to underserved communities, universities, markets, and hospitals.
“Electricity is a democratic dividend we owe every Nigerian. We intend to deliver it.”
On the broader economy, Tinubu said federation revenues had risen, providing states and local governments with more resources, fiscal transparency had improved, and investor confidence had returned across agriculture, energy, manufacturing, technology, mining, transportation and the creative industries.
He said non-oil exports grew by 21 per cent last year, over 1,000 small and medium enterprises had been certified for export, and the National Agricultural Development Fund was deploying 10,000 tractors over five years.
However, he acknowledged that hardship persists.
“Yet, many Nigerians still face economic hardship. We remain focused on reducing inflation, expanding food production, creating jobs, improving living standards, rebuilding confidence in our economy, and creating conditions for sustainable prosperity.
“We are moving from uncertainty to stability. The next phase is about accelerating growth and ensuring the benefits are felt in every home, every community, and every region. We believe that Democracy must be felt in the pocket,” he stated.
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has disclosed that there are two main reasons a former Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Uche Nnaji, is being detained by the commission.
It also revealed that legal action was taken against the Enugu-born politician after he failed to honour several invitations extended to him through a letter referenced ICPC/HC/CSTF/GUN/GBT/T.1/VOLV16, and dated 15 May 2026.
John Odey, the spokesman of the commission in a statement on Wednesday explained that the commission later approached Federal High Court, Abuja Division, with the suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/1160/2026) in order to effect Nnaji’s arrest after his failure to honour invitation.
Nnaji was arrested at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, when he boarded a private jet to Abuja.
Corroborating the development, the ICPC spokesman said Nnaji’s arrest was effected at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, upon his arrival where he was led to the commission’s custody immediately.
According to him, Nnaji is being probed on forgery of academic credentials, specifically concerning a degree certificate from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) and False National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Discharge Certificate, which was submitted during his ministerial screening process in 2023.
The statement read, “The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has arrested the immediate past Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Hon. Geoffrey Uchechukwu Nnaji (M), following the execution of a bench warrant issued by the Federal High Court of Nigeria.
“The arrest was effected on Wednesday, 1st July 2026 at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, upon Mr. Nnaji’s arrival.
“He was apprehended with the assistance of the Department of State Services (DSS) and subsequently handed over to the ICPC for further investigation.
“The Commission had earlier extended formal invitations to the former minister through a letter referenced ICPC/HC/CSTF/GUN/GBT/T.1/VOLV16, dated 15 May 2026.
“The invitation notices were duly served to his known addresses in Abuja and Enugu, as well as via his electronic mail address.
“Despite service through multiple channels, Mr. Nnaji failed to appear for investigative interviews on the scheduled dates, necessitating further legal action.
“The legal action followed a court order granted by the Federal High Court in the Abuja Judicial Division (Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/1160/2026).
“The order, issued on 11 June 2026, directed the ICPC to arrest the former minister to enable investigation into allegations bordering on:
“Forgery of academic credentials, specifically concerning a degree certificate from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN); and “False National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Discharge Certificate, which was submitted during his ministerial screening process in 2023.
“Following the arrest, Mr. Nnaji has been taken into custody at the ICPC headquarters in Abuja, where investigations are expected to continue. The Commission assures the public that the matter will be pursued diligently in accordance with the law.”
The immediate past Minister of Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, was arrested on Wednesday at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on arrival from Enugu via a chartered flight.
Authoritative sources at the airport confirmed the arrest to PREMIUM TIMES, saying Mr Nnaji would be handed over to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for interrogation.
The reported arrest comes weeks after the Federal High Court reportedly granted the ICPC permission to arrest and investigate Nnaji over the allegations.
The court also authorised the anti-graft agency to declare him wanted through newspapers, social media platforms and other media channels after the commission alleged that he repeatedly failed to honour invitations for questioning.
According to the ICPC, its application to the court followed Nnaji’s alleged refusal to appear before investigators despite several invitations relating to the forgery allegations.
The case stems from a two-year investigation published by Premium Times in October last year, which alleged that Nnaji submitted forged University of Nigeria degree and National Youth Service Corps certificates during his ministerial screening and confirmation process in 2023.
The report alleged that the documents were presented to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Nigerian Senate, the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the State Security Service.
According to the publication, Nnaji later acknowledged that the University of Nigeria did not issue him the degree certificate in question, a development the newspaper said corroborated its investigation.Newspapers
The former minister had previously denied the existence of the court order authorising his arrest, dismissing the publication as a “media trial.”
However, on June 18, he reportedly filed an appeal before the Court of Appeal, seeking to overturn the arrest order.
As of the time of filing this report, the ICPC had not issued an official statement confirming the reported arrest, while Nnaji’s legal team had yet to publicly respond to the latest development.
The Federal High Court in Abuja, on Tuesday, restored the bail it had earlier granted to activist and presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore.
Sowore is facing a two-count cybercrime charge filed against him by the Department of State Services (DSS) for calling President Bola Tinubu a “criminal” in a social media post.
Trial Justice Muhammed Umar, who had earlier granted the defendant bail on self-recognisance, on June 16 revoked the bail and issued a warrant for his arrest.
The order came after Sowore failed to appear before the court for the continuation of his trial, even though he wrote a letter explaining his absence and requesting a new date.
When proceedings resumed in the case on June 22, Justice Umar ordered the remand of the defendant in Kuje prison.
Dissatisfied with the actions the court took against him, Sowore—whose legal team had initially withdrawn from the case over alleged bias by the judge—secured a new lawyer, who promptly filed a motion to restore his bail and quash the arrest warrant.
When the case came up on Tuesday, Justice Umar held that he was minded to admit the defendant to bail.
However, the court listed some conditions that had to be met before he would be released from prison custody.
Aside from granting him bail to the tune of N200 million, the court held that the defendant must produce two sureties in like sum.
The court also ordered the defendant to surrender his international passport.
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Sowore, in the application he anchored on Sections 35(4), 36(1), and 66 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, as well as Sections 169 and 352 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015, insisted that the orders the court made against him were unjust and unwarranted.
The defendant had, on December 2, 2025, pleaded not guilty to the charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/484/2025, filed against him by the Department of State Services (DSS).
The charges allege offences under Sections 24(1)(b) and 24(2)(a), (b), and (c) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc.) (Amendment) Act, 2024.
The offending posts, made on August 25, 2025, were in response to President Tinubu’s claim, made in Brazil, that his administration had ended corruption in Nigeria.
Angered by the posts, the DSS demanded that X Inc. (formerly Twitter) and Meta Platforms Inc. ban Sowore’s accounts and remove the posts.
The security agency also wrote to Sowore, asking him to delete the posts from all platforms.
Non-compliance with the request led to the charges.
The prosecution claims the defamatory posts were intended to cause a breakdown of law and order and to tarnish the president’s reputation.
Exhibits include printouts of the posts and the DSS letters.
X Inc. and Meta were initially co-defendants but were delisted in the amended charge.
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