Nigeria imposes security emergency after deadly wave of violence

Shafaq News – Abuja

Nigerian President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday declared a nationwide security emergency and set in motion a large-scale expansion of security forces to confront rising armed violence, according to an official statement.

The statement said the police will recruit 20,000 additional officers—raising their strength to 50,000—and begin using National Youth Service Corps camps as training facilities. Officers assigned to VIP protection will be withdrawn, retrained, and redeployed to conflict-affected areas.

Tinubu also authorised the Department of State Services (DSS) to deploy trained forest guards and hire more personnel to target armed groups sheltering in forest zones, warning that “there will be no more hiding places for agents of evil.”

The announcement follows deadly attacks in Kebbi, Borno, Zamfara, Niger, Yobe, and Kwara, where dozens of civilians were killed or kidnapped.

Nigeria continues to battle Islamist insurgents, armed bandits, and communal violence that have killed thousands and forced millions from their homes. The UN World Food Programme warned that escalating insecurity in the north is driving hunger to unprecedented levels, cautioning that nearly 35 million people could face food shortages in 2026 as its resources run out in December.