Our Correspondents | Politics
President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday declared a nationwide security emergency, ordering mass recruitment across the armed forces and police, as federal lawmakers openly condemned the administration’s negotiations with bandits amid a surge in kidnappings across the country.
The extraordinary directive comes after more than 300 Nigerians — mostly schoolchildren — were abducted in Kebbi, Niger and Kwara States in just one week, triggering nationwide outrage, school closures across multiple states, and the shutdown of 41 Federal Unity Colleges.
Announcing the emergency measures, President Tinubu authorised the Nigeria Police Force to recruit 20,000 more officers — bringing the ongoing recruitment to 50,000 — and directed the military and Department of State Services to deploy additional personnel, including forest guards, to “flush out terrorists and bandits hiding in our forests.”
“Fellow Nigerians, this is a national emergency,” Tinubu said. “There will be no more hiding places for agents of evil. Our administration has the courage and determination to keep the country safe.”
He also urged the National Assembly to begin work on legislation enabling state police, describing decentralised policing as essential to restoring security.
Parliament Pushes Back
But Tinubu’s sweeping orders collided with rare bipartisan anger in the National Assembly, where senators and members of the House of Representatives rejected the Federal Government’s negotiation with armed groups responsible for recent mass abductions.
The Presidency had defended its contact with the bandits, insisting no ransom was paid and arguing that direct confrontation would have endangered abducted children used as human shields.
“What restrains security agencies is the risk of collateral damage,” Presidential aide Bayo Onanuga said. “They don’t just want to be attacking them.”
Lawmakers sharply disagreed. In the Senate, tempers flared as legislators accused the government of emboldening criminals and “losing public confidence.”
Senate Deputy President Barau Jibrin warned: “This country is under attack. We should seek overseas support to stem the crisis.”
Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele described the moment as “a defining point in our national history,” while Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe demanded answers on reports that soldiers were withdrawn hours before bandits stormed the Kebbi school.
“Who asked them to withdraw? If I were the Commander-in-Chief, I would demand answers,” Abaribe said.
Senator Adams Oshiomhole urged prosecution of whoever authorised the withdrawal, saying: “That person should be tried for terrorism.”
In the House of Representatives, a coalition of lawmakers under the banner House to the Rescue issued a scathing statement, calling the Federal Government’s actions “an abdication of responsibility.”
“This is not leadership,” they said. “Negotiating with bandits is a betrayal of the Nigerian people.”
The group warned that global precedents — from Mexico to Colombia and Afghanistan — show that dialogue with violent non-state actors “leads to more violence, not peace.”
ADC, Atiku Join Chorus of Criticism
The African Democratic Congress accused the Tinubu administration of “opaque dealings” with insurgents and demanded clarity on the circumstances surrounding the victims’ release.
“Conflicting official accounts only prove that the government is not being honest,” said ADC spokesman Bolaji Abdullahi, questioning what was exchanged for the abductees’ freedom.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar also criticised the Presidency for “boasting about talking to terrorists.”
“No serious nation congratulates itself for negotiating with terrorists it claims to have under surveillance,” Atiku said. “Under Tinubu, terrorists have become an alternative government.”
Southern Governors: State Police Now ‘Non-Negotiable’
At a meeting in Ogun State, the Southern Governors’ Forum declared that the creation of state police is now “non-negotiable,” citing rising attacks across all regions.
“Our region has consistently advocated for a policing system closer to the people,” Governor Dapo Abiodun said. “Recent incidents reinforce the urgency of decentralising policing.”
Police Begin Mass Recruitment
Responding to Tinubu’s directive, the Police Service Commission and the Nigeria Police Force inaugurated a joint committee to recruit 30,000 new officers, following the withdrawal of police from VIP escorts.
PSC Chairman Hashimu Argungu said the exercise must be “transparent and merit-based,” while the Inspector-General of Police assured full cooperation.
FCT Launches School Intelligence Network
Amid rising fears of copycat attacks, the FCT Police Command announced a new intelligence network linking security agencies with schools across Abuja, alongside expanded patrols around religious centres and rural communities.
“We have activated a robust intelligence system,” said FCT Commissioner of Police Miller Dantawaye. “Schools are now at the centre of this operation.”
Parents of Abducted Pupils Die in Shock
Tragedy deepened as two parents of abducted Niger State pupils died from trauma following their children’s kidnapping. One, Anthony Musa, suffered a heart attack; another woman died from shock, according to the Catholic Bishop of Kontagora, Bulus Yohanna.
A Nation on Edge
The latest crisis underscores Nigeria’s worsening security landscape, marked by mass school abductions, rural raids, and escalating banditry across the North-West and North-Central regions.
Despite repeated military operations, criminal networks continue to expand, exploiting weak intelligence, vast ungoverned forests, and internal sabotage — concerns highlighted by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, who warned that “the country is under coordinated attack.”
For millions of Nigerians, violence has become routine. With political pressure rising and public confidence shaken, Tinubu’s sweeping emergency measures may be the administration’s sternest test yet.