A sweeping security emergency has been declared across Nigeria by President Bola Tinubu, who announced a major expansion of the country’s police and military manpower to confront escalating violence. The directive, issued from the State House on Wednesday, marks one of the administration’s most aggressive responses yet to worsening insecurity.
Under the new order, the Nigerian Police Force will recruit 20,000 additional officers, raising the current intake plan to 50,000. The President also approved the use of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) camps as temporary training centres to fast-track deployment. Officers earlier withdrawn from VIP protection duties are to undergo accelerated retraining before being reassigned to high-risk areas.
Tinubu warned criminal groups that the government’s restraint should not be mistaken for weakness, promising decisive action against terrorists, bandits and other armed groups. He urged citizens to support law-enforcement efforts, stressing that securing the nation “requires all hands on deck.”
The President also directed the Department of State Services (DSS) to immediately deploy trained forest guards to dislodge armed groups hiding in forests across the country. Additional recruits will be added to the programme, he said, insisting there will be “no hiding place for agents of evil.”
While commending the military and security agencies for recent rescue operations—including the release of schoolgirls in Kebbi and worshippers abducted in Kwara—Tinubu called for renewed resolve in recovering remaining hostages still held by kidnappers in Niger State and elsewhere.
Addressing the Armed Forces, he acknowledged the strain on personnel but urged discipline, integrity and unity of purpose. The President pledged full government support to ensure operational success, warning there must be “no compromise, no collusion, and no negligence.”
Tinubu described the moment as a turning point in Nigeria’s fight against insecurity, stating that the government is deploying “more boots on the ground” and strengthening coordination across security agencies in an effort to restore nationwide stability.
