Tinubu Declares National Security Emergency, Orders Massive Recruitment into Security Agencies
by George Ozalla
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has declared a nationwide security emergency and directed an immediate expansion of personnel across the Armed Forces, the Nigeria Police Force and the Department of State Services in response to what he described as an urgent national threat. The announcement was contained in a State House statement issued on Wednesday.
Tinubu authorised the police and the army to embark on fresh recruitment to strengthen operations in security-challenged areas. He approved the intake of 20,000 additional police officers, raising the current number of new recruits to 50,000, and directed the police authorities to use National Youth Service Corps camps as training depots to fast-track deployment. Officers withdrawn from VIP protection duties will undergo crash training before being redeployed to frontline assignments.
The President also gave the DSS clearance to deploy all trained forest guards to dislodge terrorist groups operating in the nation’s forests and instructed the agency to recruit additional personnel to reinforce the operation. He said the Federal Government is placing more boots on the ground to deny criminals any hiding place.
Tinubu commended security agencies for the rescue of abducted schoolgirls in Kebbi and worshippers in Kwara and pledged continued efforts to free the remaining students kidnapped in Niger State and other Nigerians still in captivity. He urged the Armed Forces to maintain discipline, integrity and close cooperation across all theatres of operation.
The President reaffirmed Federal Government support for state-level security outfits and called on the National Assembly to begin reviewing laws to allow states that require state police to establish them. He advised states to reconsider siting boarding schools in remote locations without adequate security and encouraged religious institutions in vulnerable areas to consistently engage security agencies for protection.
Tinubu appealed to herder groups to embrace ranching as a sustainable solution to recurring clashes with farming communities, saying the newly created Ministry of Livestock offers a clear pathway. He urged an end to open grazing and asked herders to surrender illegal weapons.
He extended sympathy to families affected by recent attacks in Kebbi, Borno, Zamfara, Niger, Yobe and Kwara and paid tribute to fallen military personnel, including Brigadier-General Musa Uba. He called on Nigerians to remain calm, vigilant and supportive of security agencies, adding that the country will overcome the current challenges through collective resolve.
