Tinubu Declares National Security Emergency, Orders Massive Police, DSS, Army Recruitment

Tinubu Declares National Security Emergency, Orders Massive Police and Army Recruitment

President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday declared a nationwide security emergency, ordering the immediate recruitment of additional personnel into the Nigerian Army, the Nigeria Police Force, and the Department of State Services (DSS) as part of an intensified response to the worsening security challenges across the country.

In a statement personally signed by him, the President directed the police to recruit an extra 20,000 officers—bringing the total intake to 50,000 new police personnel—while authorising the military to also expand its ranks. Police authorities were further instructed to use NYSC camps as training depots to fast-track mobilisation.

Tinubu ordered the DSS to deploy all trained forest guards to flush out terrorists and bandits hiding in forests and to immediately recruit more personnel for expanded anti-terror operations. He warned that there would be “no more hiding places for agents of evil.”

The President also directed that police officers withdrawn from VIP escort duties undergo crash retraining ahead of deployment to high-risk regions, emphasising that “this is a national emergency requiring more boots on the ground.”

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Tinubu commended the joint efforts of security agencies in securing the release of 24 abducted schoolgirls in Kebbi and 38 worshippers in Kwara, assuring that operations to free the remaining kidnapped students in Niger State and other captives “will be sustained without letup.”

He urged the National Assembly to commence the review of laws that would enable states willing to establish state police to do so, describing it as a necessary step in confronting Nigeria’s complex security threats.

The President also advised state governments to avoid siting boarding schools in remote, unsecured locations and encouraged mosques and churches—especially in vulnerable communities—to ensure regular security protection during worship.

Speaking on the persistent farmer–herder clashes, Tinubu called on herder associations to end open grazing, surrender illegal weapons, and embrace ranching. He said the creation of the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development reflects his administration’s commitment to long-term solutions and “national harmony.”

Tinubu sympathised with families affected by recent attacks in Kebbi, Borno, Zamfara, Niger, Yobe, and Kwara, and paid tribute to fallen soldiers, including Brigadier-General Musa Uba.

Warning those behind the attacks, the President said: “Do not mistake our restraint for weakness. This administration has the courage and determination to keep Nigeria safe.”

He urged Nigerians to remain calm, vigilant, and united: “Report suspicious activities. Cooperate with security agencies. We are in this fight together, and together we shall win.”

Tinubu Declares National Security Emergency, Orders Massive Police, DSS, Army Recruitment