Tinubu declares security emergency, orders massive police and army recruitments

 

President Tinubu declares security emergency, orders massive police and army recruitments

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has declared a nationwide security emergency following the increasing spate of attacks carried out by bandits, terrorists and other assailants across the country.

In a national statement released on Wednesday night, the President said the scale and intensity of recent security breaches demand an urgent, coordinated response, adding that "the times require all hands on deck."

Under the new directive, the Nigeria Police Force (NPC) has been authorised to recruit an additional 20,000 officers, raising its ongoing recruitment drive to 50,000 personnel.

The Nigerian Army has also received approval for expanded enlistment to reinforce troops across various theatres of operation.

To speed up the process, President Tinubu has permitted the police to use National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) camps as temporary training depots, in addition to the training facilities he previously approved for nationwide upgrade.

He also ordered all police officers recently withdrawn from VIP guard duties to undergo crash reorientation courses ahead of deployment to vulnerable communities and high-risk environments.

The President further directed the Department of State Services (DSS) to immediately deploy all trained forest guards to flush out terrorists and bandits hiding in forests across the country. The agency has also been authorised to recruit additional personnel specifically for forest security operations.

"This is a national emergency, and we are responding by deploying more boots on the ground, especially in security-challenged areas," Tinubu said. "There will be no more hiding places for agents of evil."