Nigerian president declares emergency as attacks surge
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday declared a “nationwide security emergency” after a sharp rise in terrorist attacks and kidnapping incidents across the country.
The security crisis earlier prompted Tinubu to cancel his planned visit to South Africa for the recently concluded G20 Summit.
“In view of the emerging security situation, I have decided to declare a nationwide security emergency and order additional recruitment into the Armed Forces,” Tinubu said in a statement.
He instructed the police to hire 20,000 more officers, bringing the total number of new recruits planned to 50,000, and said additional personnel would be deployed to the areas most affected by violence. Tinubu also authorized the temporary use of National Youth Service Corps camps as training sites and ordered immediate retraining for officers reassigned from VIP protection duties.
The president praised security forces for rescuing 24 schoolgirls in Kebbi State and 38 worshippers abducted in Kwara State, and said operations are continuing to free students still held in Niger State.
Nigeria has long been plagued by kidnappings conducted by criminal gangs and terrorist groups operating across the continent’s most populous nation. The groups often hold victims for extended periods, demanding ransom payments for their release. The issue drew global attention in 2014 when Boko Haram militants abducted hundreds of schoolgirls from Chibok village in Borno State.
The West African country has witnessed a string of major abductions in recent days. Last Friday, gunmen raided St. Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri, abducting more than 300 students and 12 teachers. The Christian Association of Nigeria said on Sunday that 50 students had managed to escape, while many others remain missing. Days earlier, attackers kidnapped 38 people and killed two during an assault on the Christ Apostolic Church in Eruku. In several states, authorities have closed schools for safety reasons.
On Wednesday, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated that Moscow is ready to provide the necessary support to Nigeria in the fight against terrorism.
