French President Emmanuel Macron announced Sunday that France will deepen its security partnership with Nigeria after a direct request from Nigerian President Bola Tinubu. The commitment comes as Nigeria faces a sharp escalation in violence and mass abductions across its northern and central regions. Macron said France stands “in full solidarity” with Nigeria amid what he described as a worsening security emergency. Over the past two weeks alone, more than 400 people have been kidnapped, including children taken from schools and travelers seized along major highways.
On Monday, Nigerian authorities confirmed the release of 100 students who had been kidnapped on November 21 from a Catholic school in Niger State. Many others abducted in separate incidents remain missing, and the circumstances of the students’ release were not disclosed. While former U.S. President Donald Trump has publicly threatened military intervention in Nigeria over what he framed as attacks targeting Christians, security analysts note that both Christian and Muslim communities including students from Islamic schools are frequently targeted by criminal gangs.
Northern Nigeria continues to face multiple threats, including armed bandit groups responsible for mass kidnappings and extremist factions such as Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), which carry out deadly attacks in remote areas. Macron’s remarks suggest France may take a more active role in regional security cooperation, particularly as instability spreads across the Sahel following recent coups in Niger and Burkina Faso.
