President Bola Tinubu has declared a national security emergency and directed an immediate expansion of the country’s security personnel, including new intakes into the Nigerian Army, Police and other agencies. The announcement came in a statement he personally signed on Wednesday, signalling one of the strongest security directives of his administration.
The President said the measure follows the worsening attacks in several states and the need to strengthen national response. He added that the police will bring in an additional twenty thousand officers, raising recent recruitment figures to fifty thousand. Training facilities earlier approved for upgrade will support the new intake, and several NYSC camps will serve as temporary training grounds.
Tinubu also instructed that officers withdrawn from VIP escort duties receive rapid retraining before deployment to areas facing security threats. He confirmed that the Department of State Services now has authority to deploy trained forest guards to target criminal hideouts and is expected to hire more personnel for continuous patrols.
The President appealed to herders to embrace ranching as a long term solution to the recurring clashes with farmers. He reminded livestock owners that the newly created Ministry of Livestock Development is designed to guide the transition from open grazing and address the long standing conflict.
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He praised security agencies for their roles in recent rescue operations in Kebbi and Kwara and assured that efforts are underway to free the remaining abducted students in Niger State. He urged personnel to maintain discipline, avoid collusion and remain focused on securing threatened communities.
Tinubu said the Federal Government will support states that have set up local security outfits and encouraged the National Assembly to begin a review of laws that would allow interested states to establish state police.
He advised state governments to avoid placing boarding schools in remote areas without strong security presence. He asked mosques and churches in vulnerable regions to maintain close contact with security agencies during major gatherings.
The President renewed his call for unity, urging citizens to report suspicious activity and work closely with security operatives. He offered condolences to families affected by recent attacks in Kebbi, Borno, Zamfara, Niger, Yobe and Kwara and paid tribute to soldiers who lost their lives, including Brigadier General Musa Uba.
Tinubu said his administration holds the resolve to confront those who threaten the country and to create the conditions for Nigerians to live without fear.
