President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday ordered a sweeping overhaul of Nigeria’s security architecture in response to a surge in kidnappings, directing law-enforcement agencies to deploy more personnel and reallocate resources to high-risk areas. Tinubu authorized the recruitment of an additional 20,000 police officers, bringing the total number of new hires to 50,000 a significant expansion for a police force estimated at about 371,000 officers. His directive also includes the withdrawal of thousands of officers currently assigned to protect politicians, VIPs, and celebrities. Reports indicate that more than 100,000 police personnel are tied up in such duties, limiting manpower available for public safety.
“This is a national emergency,” Tinubu said in a statement, emphasizing the urgent need to reinforce communities facing persistent attacks and kidnappings. The president also empowered forest rangers to carry out offensive operations against armed groups, known locally as bandits, who have terrorized central and northern Nigeria for over a decade. These groups routinely attack villages, highways, and schools, abducting civilians for ransom. The latest high-profile incident occurred last Friday, when 303 schoolchildren were kidnapped in the remote Papiri community. At least 50 have managed to escape, but the majority remain missing. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Mass school abductions had declined in the past two years but are now rising again, coinciding with renewed international pressure, especially from the U.S. Trump administration, which has accused Nigeria of failing to protect Christian communities. Nigerian officials deny the claim, noting that both Christians and Muslims have been targeted. Tinubu’s security overhaul marks one of the most aggressive responses yet to Nigeria’s deepening kidnapping crisis, as authorities race to restore public confidence and curb the growing influence of armed groups.
