An alleged terrorist commander has issued severe new threats against Nigeria, declaring that his group intends to escalate their operations by targeting high-profile individuals, including military officers, state governors, and even President Bola Tinubu, for abduction. This bold declaration emerged in a video obtained by SaharaReporters and later circulated on social media, intensifying public anxiety over the nation's deteriorating security landscape.

In the video, an armed militant, whose identity remained unconfirmed, appeared to be wearing a Nigerian military jacket as he defiantly boasted about recent successful kidnappings of schoolchildren in Kebbi and Niger states. He asserted that his group was undeterred by recent arrests made by security forces, claiming that the Nigerian government had failed in its fundamental responsibility to protect its citizens. With explicit threats, he stated, “Everyone has woken up. We kidnapped school students in Kebbi State and Niger State. Next time, we will be kidnapping Nigerian military officers and taking them to the forest.” Pointing to his attire, he continued, “Look at the clothes I’m wearing — they belong to a soldier. Nigeria, in the days ahead, we will kidnap a governor, we will kidnap the President, and others.”

The terrorist further challenged Nigerians to abandon their trust in governmental protection, urging them instead to seek divine intervention. “We are not concerned that they have arrested anyone. The government cannot secure you. You people should return to God to protect you, answer your wishes, and wipe the tears from your eyes,” he asserted. The recording concluded with a greeting to his social media followers, emphasizing the group's perceived empowerment: “No one among the big men can wipe your tears. We have woken up. I greet all of you on social media. Have a pleasant day.”

These threats come in the wake of a series of devastating school abductions. Five days prior to the St. Mary’s attack, terrorists had stormed the Maga Comprehensive Girls’ Secondary School in Kebbi State, abducting approximately 25 female students and tragically killing at least one staff member. A school guard was also injured during this assault, which occurred around 5:52 AM, with attackers invading the compound amid sporadic gunfire while students prepared for morning routines.

SaharaReporters had reported on November 21, 2025, that terrorists, in the early hours of Friday morning, invaded St. Mary’s Papiri Private Catholic Secondary School in Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State. The coordinated operation, which lasted between 2 AM and 3 AM, resulted in the abduction of an unspecified number of students and teachers. Multiple community sources confirmed the invasion, and local officials, including Ahmed Abdullahi Rofia, Head of Disaster and Relief for Agwara Local Government, and Bello Gidi, media aide to the Chairman of Agwara Local Government, verified the incident. Gidi indicated that preliminary information suggested “over 100 students and teachers” were kidnapped. Another report by DAILY POST, referencing the same event, stated that over 300 students and 12 teachers were seized from St. Mary’s Catholic School.

The video, which emerged just a week after these high-profile abductions, and the increasing audacity of such threats, has generated widespread alarm across Nigeria. Security analysts have noted that the footage reflects a rapidly deteriorating security landscape in the North, where bandits and armed groups operate with what appears to be minimal deterrence. Public reactions on social media platform X mirrored this frustration, with users expressing outrage and questioning the possibility of such brazen declarations in a functional country, lamenting the emboldened state of criminals in Nigeria.