President Bola Tinubu has declared a nationwide security emergency and directed an immediate scale-up of personnel across Nigeria’s security agencies in a bid to combat rising insecurity.
In a statement released from the State House, the President ordered the Nigeria Police Force to recruit an additional 20,000 officers, raising the total number of new intakes under his administration to 50,000. The Nigerian Armed Forces are expected to commence similar accelerated recruitment to boost operational strength.
To fast-track training, Tinubu authorised the use of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) camps as temporary training centres for incoming police recruits. He also empowered the Department of State Services (DSS) to deploy trained forest guards to track, locate, and eliminate terrorists and bandits operating within the nation’s forests.
The President further appealed to the National Assembly to initiate legislative reviews that would enable states to establish state police where deemed necessary—an issue that has gained renewed public interest amid worsening insecurity.
Tinubu also urged local government authorities, religious organisations, and community leaders to strengthen internal security structures and actively support national efforts to protect lives and property.
The emergency directives are expected to trigger an extensive restructuring of Nigeria’s security architecture as the government moves to restore stability across the country.