Nigeria’s defense minister, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, has stepped down, the presidency announced on Monday, as the country grapples with a worsening security emergency marked by repeated mass kidnappings of schoolchildren.
His resignation follows President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of a “nationwide security emergency” last week, which included directives to recruit 20,000 additional police officers to bolster overstretched security forces.
Nigeria continues to confront numerous armed groups operating deep in remote areas where state presence is minimal. In November, more than 300 people were abducted from a school in Niger state, just days after 25 schoolgirls were kidnapped in neighboring Kebbi state. Experts say such attacks are often aimed at forcing the government into ransom negotiations. No group has claimed responsibility for the recent kidnappings.
The landscape has further complicated as fighters from across the Sahel have aligned with Boko Haram-linked factions seeking to strengthen their foothold in northern Nigeria.
Adding to tensions, U.S. President Donald Trump last month threatened potential military action against Nigeria over what he described as the persecution of Christians an allegation the Nigerian government firmly denies.
