Tinubu declares nationwide security emergency, orders massive recruitment of army, police personnel
President Bola Tinubu
Abdullateef Fowewe
President Bola Tinubu has declared a nationwide security emergency in a decisive move to tackle the escalating security challenges facing Nigeria, and authorised the military and police forces to recruit more personnel.
In an official statement on Wednesday, the President said, “Today, in view of the emerging security situation, I have decided to declare a nationwide security emergency and order additional recruitment into the Armed Forces.”
The police will increase its force by recruiting an additional 20,000 officers, raising the total new intake to 50,000.
Highlighting the urgent need for training infrastructure, the President stated that “police authorities are authorised to use various National Youth Service Corps camps as training depots.”
Officers withdrawn from VIP duties will undergo crash training to better serve in security-challenged areas.
The statement also empowered the Department of State Services (DSS) to deploy already trained forest guards against terrorists and bandits hiding in forest areas, instructing the agency to recruit more personnel to “ensure there will be no more hiding places for agents of evil.”
President Tinubu called this a “national emergency” that demands “all hands on deck.”
He praised the security agencies’ recent successes, including the rescue of 24 schoolgirls in Kebbi and 38 worshippers in Kwara State, and vowed to intensify efforts to free remaining hostages.
Acknowledging military sacrifices, the President urged soldiers to “remain resolute, to restore peace and to uphold the highest standards of discipline and integrity,” emphasising “There must be no compromise, no collusion, and no negligence. The Nigerian people are counting on you.”
He encouraged states with their own security outfits, promising federal support, and called on the National Assembly to review laws to allow for state police establishment.
On societal peace, he appealed to religious institutions in vulnerable areas to always seek security presence and urged herder associations to end open grazing and surrender illegal weapons, pointing to ranching as the sustainable way forward.
Expressing condolences for recent victims across states including Kebbi, Borno, Zamfara, Niger, Yobe, and Kwara, the President paid tribute to fallen soldiers such as Brigadier-General Musa Uba.
He ended with a call for unity and vigilance, “I urge all Nigerians to remain calm and vigilant. Report suspicious activities. Cooperate with security agencies. We are in this fight together, and together we shall win.”
