Nigeria's President Goodluck Jonathan on Wednesday called on world leaders to put up a stronger fight against terrorism, saying it should no longer be treated as a local issue, but a common challenge across the globe.

Jonathan also advised the United Nations (UN) to treat terrorists as the world's common enemies.

"Terrorism is a menace to all of us. The world and indeed the United Nations must come together and see terrorists as our common enemies. Those who throw explosives at people are not mentally- deranged.

"There is no justification for this act. The earlier the world comes together to confront it, the better for all of us," said the Nigerian leader, while addressing an audience including UN officials at an event held in Abuja, capital of Nigeria.

According to him, the UN should no longer treat terror as a local issue because people have the rights to live and travel freely without fear.

Expressing serious concern over the free movement of small arms and weapons across international borders, Jonathan attributed the spate of armed robbery, rape and other crimes to the presence of small arms in the hands of non-state actors.

He urged the UN to take a position against those who manufacture the weapons of mass destruction, while advising the international organization to take a bold step in carrying out existing treaties that are against the movement of small arms across the world.

Nigeria has tasted in the bitter pill of terrorism, with the alleged killing of more than 1,500 people, including women and children, by the Boko Haram sect, which has launched attacks mainly in the northern and central parts of the West African nation since 2009.