President Tinubu declares nationwide security emergency, orders recruitment of thousands, and urges legalisation of state police amid rising kidnappings
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Wednesday declared a nationwide security emergency, ordering the army, police and intelligence services to expand recruitment and deploy thousands of additional personnel to tackle escalating kidnappings and terrorist attacks across Nigeria.
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The President also urged the National Assembly to begin the process of legalising state police to strengthen local security.
The announcement follows the abduction of over 300 students and 12 teachers from St Mary’s Catholic School in Niger State and 24 schoolgirls from Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, Kebbi State.
During the Kebbi attack, vice principal Hasan Makuku was shot dead, and the principal injured. Approximately 50 students later escaped, while the remainder remain in captivity.
A separate attack on a CAC church in Kwara State resulted in two deaths and 38 abductions. Most victims were subsequently released.
The spate of kidnappings has prompted the closure of schools in Kebbi, Bauchi, Yobe, Adamawa, Taraba, Plateau, Niger, Katsina and Kwara States, including 41 Federal Unity Colleges.
While the Presidency defended negotiations with bandits as necessary to protect victims, several lawmakers condemned the approach, describing it as a dangerous precedent.
Senators and House members demanded an end to talks with criminals and accountability for decisions that led to the withdrawal of troops before attacks.
Senate debates highlighted tensions, with lawmakers warning that Nigeria is “under attack” and that public confidence is eroding.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio cited intelligence failures and internal sabotage, while Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin called for international collaboration.
Meanwhile, the African Democratic Congress criticised secret negotiations with bandits, describing them as legitimising criminality.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar also questioned the Federal Government’s handling of the kidnappings, arguing that negotiations exposed incompetence and emboldened terrorists.
In response to the crisis, President Tinubu authorised the Nigeria Police Force to recruit 20,000 additional officers and directed the military to enlist more personnel for rapid deployment.
National Youth Service Corps camps will be temporarily converted into training depots, and withdrawn VIP escort officers will undergo crash training for redeployment.
The Department of State Services was also directed to deploy trained forest guards to flush out terrorists. Tinubu called on citizens to remain vigilant, report suspicious activity, and support security forces.
Governors, including Ogun State’s Dapo Abiodun, endorsed the push for state police, highlighting the need for decentralised, responsive policing to secure schools, farmlands, and communities.
The Police Service Commission and Nigeria Police Force have inaugurated a joint ad-hoc committee to recruit 30,000 new officers, with oversight from PSC Chairman DIG Hashimu Salihu Argungu (retd.) and full cooperation from the Inspector-General of Police.
In Abuja, the FCT Police Commissioner, Miller Dantawaye, said schools are now central to a coordinated intelligence network under Operation Sweep, aimed at preventing kidnappings and protecting religious centres.
The human toll of the attacks continues, with two parents of abducted children reportedly dying following the trauma of their wards’ abduction.
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President Tinubu pledged that his administration would leave no hiding place for terrorists, vowing that the security overhaul would restore peace and urging Nigerians to remain calm and united.
