Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu declared a national security emergency on Wednesday, ordering a large-scale recruitment of military and police personnel as well as the redeployment of resources to address the armed attacks and school kidnappings that have been occurring in multiple states in the northern part of the country.
Last week, in Papiri village, Niger state, more than 300 students and 12 teachers of a Catholic school were abducted by gunmen, marking the most severe kidnapping incident in the country’s history, surpassing even the 2014 abduction of 276 schoolgirls in Chibok by the terrorist group Boko Haram, highlighting serious vulnerabilities in the government’s security system.
Within days, another school and a church in the northern region were also attacked by armed groups, rapidly escalating the security crisis. Following these kidnapping incidents, Tinubu canceled two overseas trips and ordered security forces to track down the attackers.
Tinubu announced on Wednesday that the country is in a state of national security emergency, calling for the recruitment of an additional 20,000 police officers to increase the total number of police personnel to 50,000, and authorizing the use of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) camps as training facilities.
He also instructed the recall of security personnel who were serving as personal guards to “VIPs” (including politicians, business executives, and celebrities), to be redeployed to conflict areas after intensive training to ensure the safety of the public.
The 73-year-old president also approved the deployment of trained forest patrol teams by the Department of State Services (DSS) and the recruitment of more personnel to eliminate armed groups hiding in the forests.
Tinubu stated in a televised speech, “Evil forces will no longer have any place to hide.”
In recent times, attacks have occurred in Kebbi, Borno, Zamfara, Niger, Yobe, and Kwara states in Nigeria, with several civilians being killed and abducted.
Relatives of the victims of St. Mary’s school in Papiri village stated that they had repeatedly requested security forces to protect the campus over the years, but received no response from the police, military, or Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps.
Villagers resorted to organizing volunteers for patrols, but when dozens of gunmen on motorcycles stormed the campus, the unarmed guards had no choice but to flee.
In Kebbi state in the northwest, there were questions raised regarding the authorities’ ability to respond after gunmen abducted 25 female students from a boarding school despite receiving intelligence about a potential attack.
Governor Nasir Idris mentioned that soldiers were initially deployed to protect the school, but withdrew in the early hours of November 17. Less than an hour later, armed assailants attacked, killing the deputy headmaster and kidnapping the female students.
“We demand an investigation by the military authorities to determine who ordered the troops to withdraw,” Idris told reporters last week.
Multiple indications suggest that Nigeria’s security system is under immense structural pressure. The independent think tank Agora Policy pointed out that at least 100,000 officers were assigned to protect “VIPs,” resulting in a chronic lack of manpower in remote areas. Lower-ranked officers earn a monthly salary of approximately $55, and many prefer the lower-risk “VIP protection missions” that offer the potential for additional gifts.
The military is facing similar challenges, with active-duty soldiers noting limited salaries for lower-ranking troops, delayed frontline allowances, and prolonged deployments leading to exhaustion within the forces. Armed groups often move rapidly on motorcycles, are familiar with the terrain, and hide in the depths of forests, sometimes launching attacks on military bases with heavy weaponry or drones.
Last week, a Nigerian Army brigadier general was captured and killed by an armed group known as the Islamic State West African Province in Borno state in the northeast.
Two military sources stated that the brigadier general had previously evaded an ambush by maintaining phone contact with the base and sharing his real-time location. However, the insurgents managed to locate him first, leading to suspicions that his coordinates may have been leaked to them.
In the northern region, nearly 50 schools have been forced to close due to fears of becoming the next targets of attacks.
Tinubu praised the rescue of 24 female students in Kebbi state and 38 worshippers in Kwara state by the security forces, promising to secure the release of the remaining hostages, including the kidnapped students in Niger state.
Tinubu urged the parliament to review relevant laws to allow states to establish their own police forces and called on religious institutions to seek security protection during gatherings.
(Adapted from reports by Reuters)