By Goodluck Chiebuka |ABNews| November 26, 2025
STATE HOUSE — In a decisive move to confront Nigeria’s rising security threats, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has declared a national security emergency, directing the Armed Forces and Police to embark on large-scale recruitment while ordering immediate deployment of trained forest guards across the country.
In a statement released from the State House on Wednesday, President Tinubu said the urgency of the moment required bold action and nationwide collaboration. He explained that the Police Force had been authorised to recruit 20,000 additional officers; raising their current intake to 50,000; while the Nigerian Army would also expand its personnel strength.
The President further approved the temporary use of NYSC camps as police training depots, allowing for quicker preparation of new recruits. Officers currently attached to VIP protection duties, he added, would undergo rapid retraining before being redeployed to high-risk zones.
The Department of State Services (DSS) also received the President’s directive to immediately send its trained forest guards into operation, with an additional mandate to recruit more personnel to secure the nation’s forests. “There will be no hiding place for agents of evil,” he said.
President Tinubu described the situation as a “national emergency”, calling on citizens to join hands with security agencies in restoring peace. He praised the “remarkable coordination” of Nigeria’s security forces for securing the release of the 24 abducted schoolgirls in Kebbi and 38 worshippers in Kwara State. He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to rescuing remaining hostages, including students abducted in Niger State.
Addressing the military, the President commended their sacrifice, urging them to remain resolute and uncompromising in the fight against insecurity. “There must be no compromise, no collusion, and no negligence,” he cautioned.
Tinubu also extended condolences to families affected by recent attacks in Kebbi, Borno, Zamfara, Niger, Yobe, and Kwara, and honoured the memory of fallen soldiers, including Brigadier-General Musa Uba.
The President called for legislative reforms to empower states seeking to establish their own police forces, emphasising that regional security outfits would receive federal backing. He advised states to reconsider siting boarding schools in isolated areas and urged religious centres, especially in vulnerable communities, to maintain active ties with security agencies.
Highlighting the newly created Ministry of Livestock Development, Tinubu appealed to herder groups to embrace ranching, end open grazing, and hand over illegal weapons. He assured that the government would work with states to resolve farmer-herder conflicts “once and for all.”
In his closing remarks, President Tinubu encouraged Nigerians to remain calm, vigilant, and united.
“Those who want to test our resolve should never mistake our restraint for weakness,” he said. “We are in this fight together; and together, we shall win.”
The statement ended with a prayer for the protection of the nation and its Armed Forces.
