***Launches Biggest Security Recruitment Drive in Decades
President Bola Tinubu has declared a national security emergency, unveiling the most sweeping security overhaul Nigeria has seen in years as violence surges across multiple states.
In a bold push to reinforce the country’s overstretched forces, Tinubu approved the recruitment of 20,000 additional soldiers and police officers, raising the total number of new security personnel to 50,000 when combined with earlier approvals. The massive intake is expected to be fast-tracked.
To speed up deployment, the President ordered that NYSC orientation camps be converted into police training centres, a move aimed at producing thousands of officers in record time. He also directed that police officers withdrawn from VIP protection duties be retrained and redeployed to frontline, high-risk areas.
Tinubu issued further instructions to the Department of State Services (DSS) to immediately dispatch and reinforce forest guard units tasked with sweeping out terrorists and bandits entrenched in forests and border regions. Recruitment for these specialised units will also be expanded.
Signalling a shift toward decentralised security, the President pledged full federal backing for state-run security outfits and urged the National Assembly to accelerate legislation on state policing, calling it a necessary step in confronting Nigeria’s layered security challenges.
On the recurring clashes involving pastoralists, Tinubu appealed to herders to abandon open grazing and embrace modern ranching, urging them to surrender illegal weapons as part of a broader disarmament push.
The President also paid emotional tribute to victims of recent attacks and honoured fallen troops—most notably Brigadier-General Musa Uba, whose death he described as a stark reminder of the sacrifices made in defence of the nation.