Tinubu Responds to Rising Attacks with Nationwide Security Emergency Declaration
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has announced sweeping new security directives, declaring a nationwide security emergency in response to escalating attacks across several states.
In a decisive statement released on Wednesday and personally signed by the President, the Commander-in-Chief unveiled a historic expansion of Nigeria’s security architecture, signalling what he called “a new phase in the battle to reclaim our nation from terror and lawlessness.”
Massive Recruitment Push for Police and Military
At the heart of the President’s directive is the immediate recruitment of thousands of additional personnel into both the Nigerian Armed Forces and the Police.
Under the new order:
* The Nigerian Police Force will enlist 20,000 more officers, raising the administration’s total target to 50,000 new recruits.
* NYSC camps will temporarily serve as additional police training centres, accelerating the onboarding process.
* Police officers currently attached to VIPs will be withdrawn, retrained, and redeployed to frontline operations in high-risk areas.
President Tinubu emphasized that the era of diverting critical manpower to non-essential duties is over. “This is a national emergency,” he said. “Every trained officer must refocus on the core mandate of securing our people.”
DSS Forest Guards to Sweep Bandit Hideouts
The President also empowered the Department of State Services (DSS) to deploy its newly trained forest guards, directing them to flush out bandits, insurgents, and terror cells hiding within Nigeria’s vast forest belts.
The DSS has additionally been ordered to recruit more personnel dedicated to forest operations.
“There will be no sanctuary for those who torment our nation,” Tinubu declared.
Commendations and Ongoing Rescue Efforts
Tinubu praised the joint operations that led to the recent rescue of 24 abducted schoolgirls in Kebbi State and 38 worshippers kidnapped in Kwara State.
He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to the safe return of all remaining hostages, including students kidnapped in Niger State.
Support for State Security and Call for State Police
In a significant policy shift, the President threw his weight behind the creation of state-controlled policing structures, urging the National Assembly to begin the legal process needed to authorize states that wish to establish state police formations.
He also pledged enhanced federal backing for existing regional and state-level security outfits already combating violent crime.
Tackling Farmer–Herder Conflict Through Ranching
Revisiting one of the country’s most persistent sources of conflict, President Tinubu reiterated his administration’s plan to end farmer–herder clashes through the recently created Ministry of Livestock Development.
He urged herders to embrace ranching, discontinue open grazing, and surrender illegal firearms.
“Ranching is now the sustainable pathway,” he said, assuring stakeholders that the federal and state governments will jointly support the transition.
A Warning to Criminals and a Call for National Vigilance
The President expressed condolences to families affected by recent attacks in Kebbi, Borno, Zamfara, Niger, Yobe, and Kwara, including the death of Brigadier-General Musa Uba.
He vowed that the government’s measured approach should not be misconstrued as weakness:
“Those who wish to test the resolve of this administration will meet a decisive response.”
Tinubu urged citizens to remain vigilant, report suspicious movements, and work hand-in-hand with security agencies as the country enters what he described as “a collective fight for peace, safety, and national survival.”
“We Shall Win This Battle Together”
Closing his address, the President called on Nigerians to reject fear and stand united: “We must not succumb to despair. Together, with courage and cooperation, we will defeat those who threaten our values and our unity.”
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He offered prayers for the protection of the nation’s armed forces and reaffirmed his government’s determination to safeguard every community across Nigeria.
