By Confronting a deteriorating security landscape marked by brazen kidnappings and expanding militant activity that has seen the slaughter of Christians in Nigeria, President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday imposed a nationwide security emergency, unveiling the most sweeping mobilization of Nigeria’s armed forces and police in more than a decade.
In a directive that framed the moment as a test of national resolve, Tinubu ordered a dramatic surge in recruitment across the security services. The Nigeria Police Force will immediately add 20,000 officers—raising its annual intake to 50,000—while the armed forces accelerate enlistment and training. National Youth Service Corps facilities will be converted into training grounds, and officers currently assigned to VIP protection details will be redeployed to Nigeria’s most volatile regions.
“My fellow Nigerians, this is a national emergency, and we are responding by deploying more boots on the ground, especially in security-challenged areas,” the order declared. “The times require all hands on deck. As Nigerians, we should all get involved in securing our nation.”
Tinubu also directed trained forest rangers to join counterterrorism sweeps aimed at flushing out militants operating from the country’s vast woodlands. The language was unambiguous: “There will be no more hiding places for agents of evil.” He warned security personnel that failure was not an option. “There must be no compromise, no collusion and no negligence. The Nigerian people are counting on you, and this administration will provide the support you need to succeed.”
The escalation follows a succession of mass abductions that have shaken the country. In recent weeks, armed groups kidnapped 25 schoolgirls in the northwest and dozens of children from a Catholic school in Niger State. Some have since been released—an outcome Tinubu credited to improved security coordination.
“Let me take this moment to commend our security agencies for working together to secure the release of the 24 schoolgirls in Kebbi and the 38 worshippers in Kwara State,” he said. “We will continue to sustain the efforts to rescue the remaining students of Catholic School in Niger State and other Nigerians still being held hostage.”
Tinubu’s address urged religious leaders to coordinate protection measures with security agencies and called on citizens to act as early-warning sentinels. “Our administration will continue to guarantee peaceful coexistence and preserve our union,” he pledged. “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.”
The declaration lands at a politically fraught moment. Earlier this month, the United States designated Nigeria a Country of Particular Concern for persistent violence against religious communities, prompting President Donald Trump to warn that U.S. aid could be curtailed—and military intervention considered—if Abuja failed to regain control.
Trump has gone as far as threatening to send in the American military to protect Christians in the country. “I’m really angry about it,” the president said Friday when asked about the new violence on the “Brian Kilmeade Show” on Fox News Radio. He alleged that Nigeria’s government has “done nothing” and said “what’s happening in Nigeria is a disgrace.”
Nigerian officials have avoided linking Wednesday’s sweeping measures to Washington’s pressure campaign.
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