Nigerian President Bola Tinubu has declared a national security emergency in response to the country’s rising insecurity, announcing a large-scale recruitment drive into the Nigerian Army, Police, and other security agencies. The move aims to boost manpower and deploy more security personnel to areas facing severe security challenges.
As part of the emergency measures, President Tinubu has authorized the recruitment of an additional 20,000 police officers, bringing the total number of new intakes approved this year to 50,000. The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) camps may be used as police training depots, following the president’s earlier approval for the upgrade of police training facilities nationwide. Police personnel withdrawn from VIP protection duties will undergo crash training to prepare them for deployment to volatile regions requiring intensified security operations.
The president has also ordered additional recruitment into the Armed Forces and granted the State Security Service (SSS) the authority to fully deploy all trained forest guards to root out terrorists and bandits in forests across the country. The SSS has also been authorized to recruit more personnel to man forests nationwide. President Tinubu vowed that there will be no more hiding places for agents of evil, citing the successful rescue of 24 schoolgirls in Kebbi State and 38 worshippers in Kwara State as a result of improved collaboration among security agencies.
The president assured that efforts to free the remaining abducted students of Catholic School, Niger State, and others still in captivity will continue. He paid tribute to fallen soldiers, including Brigadier-General Musa Uba, describing them as heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice. The federal government will support state governments that have established security outfits to protect their citizens from terrorists and violent criminals.
President Tinubu urged the National Assembly to review relevant laws to enable states that require state police to legally establish them. He also issued security advice to citizens and policymakers, recommending that states reconsider boarding schools in remote areas without proper security and that mosques and churches in vulnerable areas seek security protection. Citizens are advised to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities.
The president reiterated that the newly created Ministry of Livestock Development will tackle long-standing clashes between farmers and herders, calling on herder groups to embrace ranching, end open grazing, and surrender illegal weapons. He appealed to Nigerians not to succumb to fear, but to show unity and resilience in the face of insecurity, emphasizing that the country will overcome the challenges through collective effort.