President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday announced a sweeping restructuring of Nigeria’s security apparatus amid a surge in mass kidnappings across the country.
As part of the overhaul, Tinubu approved the recruitment of 20,000 additional police officers, expanding on the 30,000 previously authorized. “The police will recruit an additional 20,000 officers, bringing the total to 50,000,” the presidency said in a statement. “My fellow Nigerians, this is a national emergency, and we are responding by deploying more boots on the ground, especially in security-challenged areas.”
Tinubu also ordered the withdrawal of police officers assigned to protect politicians, public figures, and celebrities, directing that they be reassigned to frontline security duties. Reports indicate that roughly 100,000 of Nigeria’s estimated 371,000 police officers currently serve in such protective roles.
The president further empowered forest rangers to carry out offensive operations against armed groups operating from remote forest areas. These groups widely known as bandits have been responsible for years of deadly attacks and mass kidnappings across Nigeria’s central and northern regions.
The latest incident occurred last Friday, when 303 children were abducted from the remote community of Papiri. No group has claimed responsibility, though authorities say 50 of the abducted students have managed to escape. The kidnapping is part of a troubling resurgence in school abductions, which had seen a decline in the past two years.
The spike in kidnappings comes as the Trump administration has intensified pressure on Nigeria over alleged persecution of Christians accusations the Nigerian government firmly rejects.
