Mr. Fanimo: Stop Calling Them Bandits — They’re Terrorists in Disguise

Exclusive — Security and public affairs analyst, Mr. Fanimo, has faulted the use of the term “bandits” to describe armed groups operating in parts of northern Nigeria, insisting that they should be rightly called terrorists.

Speaking during a live program on VOP TV, Fanimo said the continuous mislabeling of these violent groups as “bandits” downplays the severity of their crimes and weakens the government’s response to their activities.

“The people you call ‘bandits’ are not bandits — they are terrorists. Bandits and terrorists are two completely different things. The English dictionary will tell you that,” he said.

He argued that the term bandit refers to petty or opportunistic criminals, while terrorists pursue political or ideological goals through organized violence, including mass killings, abductions, and destruction of communities.

According to Fanimo, the refusal to classify these groups correctly has contributed to the government’s soft approachtoward them, allowing their operations to spread across several states.

“When you fail to name a problem correctly, you will never solve it. These people are committing acts of terror — they deserve to be treated as terrorists under the law,” he added.

Fanimo called on the government, media, and security agencies to adopt accurate terminology and apply anti-terrorism laws against those behind mass kidnappings, rural attacks, and insurgent activities.

“Words matter. Once you call them what they are — terrorists — it becomes easier to design the right legal and military response,” he stressed.

Observers say his remarks echo growing concerns that political sensitivity and language control have slowed Nigeria’s fight against insecurity, especially in the North-West and parts of the North-Central regions.