President Bola Tinubu has declared a nationwide security emergency in response to the escalating wave of attacks across the country, authorising large-scale recruitment into the Nigerian Armed Forces and police.
In a national address , the President announced that the police would immediately recruit 20,000 additional officers, raising ongoing recruitment to 50,000 personnel. He also authorised the army to expand its ranks to increase ground deployment in security-challenged regions.
To fast-track training, the police have been cleared to use National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) camps as temporary depots. Officers withdrawn from VIP protection duties, he said, will undergo crash retraining before being redeployed to frontline operations.
The President also directed the Department of State Services (DSS) to deploy its trained forest guards without delay to flush out terrorists and bandits hiding in forests nationwide. The DSS has further been authorised to recruit more personnel specifically for forest operations.
“This is a national emergency,” Tinubu declared. “We are responding by deploying more boots on the ground. The times require all hands on deck.”
Hecommended security agencies for the rescue of 24 schoolgirls in Kebbi State and 38 worshippers in Kwara State, while assuring continued efforts to free the remaining abducted students of Catholic School in Niger State as well as other victims still in captivity.
Addressing the Armed Forces, Tinubu praised their courage and sacrifice but insisted on zero tolerance for misconduct.
“There must be no compromise, no collusion, and no negligence,” he said. “The Nigerian people are counting on you.”
The President also reaffirmed support for state-level security outfits and urged the National Assembly to begin reviewing laws to allow states that require state police to establish them.
He warned states against siting boarding schools in remote, unsecured areas and advised churches and mosques in vulnerable regions to seek police protection during gatherings.
On the farmer-herder crisis, Tinubu urged herder groups to embrace the new Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, end open grazing, and surrender illegal weapons. “Ranching is now the path forward,” he said.
The President expressed sympathy for families affected by recent attacks in Kebbi, Borno, Zamfara, Niger, Yobe and Kwara, and paid tribute to fallen troops, including Brigadier-General Musa Uba.
He warned perpetrators of violence not to mistake government restraint for weakness.
“This administration has the courage and determination to keep the country safe,” he said. “Together, we shall win.”
Tinubu urged citizens to remain calm, vigilant, and cooperative with security agencies, reaffirming his administration’s commitment to safeguarding national unity and restoring peace.
