Tinubu Declares Nationwide Security Emergency as Lawmakers Reject Negotiations With Bandits

Nigeria entered a new phase of security tension on Wednesday after President Bola Tinubu announced a nationwide security emergency, directing the army, police and intelligence agencies to immediately expand recruitment and deploy thousands of new personnel. The President said the move had become necessary following a surge in kidnappings and coordinated attacks that swept through several states within one week.

Tinubu also urged the National Assembly to begin work on creating legal backing for state police, a proposal he said is now critical to tackling the widening security gaps. His announcement came as lawmakers in both chambers openly criticised the Federal Government for negotiating with bandits involved in recent mass abductions in Kwara and Kebbi.

Anger rose in the Senate as lawmakers demanded an end to negotiations and called for punishment for the official who ordered the withdrawal of troops from Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, Kebbi, where 24 students were seized on November 17. Four days after that incident, over 300 pupils and 12 teachers were abducted from St Mary’s Catholic School in Niger State.

During the Kebbi attack, gunmen killed Vice Principal Hasan Makuku and injured the principal. While about 50 girls escaped, many are still with their captors. Another armed gang struck a CAC church in Kwara, killing two worshippers and kidnapping 38 people who were later released.

The wave of attacks triggered the shutdown of several schools in Kebbi, Bauchi, Yobe, Adamawa, Taraba, Plateau, Niger, Katsina and Kwara. The Federal Government also closed 41 Federal Unity Colleges over safety concerns.

Presidential aide Bayo Onanuga defended the decision to engage the bandits, arguing that the safety of hostages made direct confrontation risky. Lawmakers rejected that explanation, warning that negotiating with criminals could embolden them and worsen national insecurity.

Debate in the Senate grew heated, with lawmakers warning that Nigeria was “under attack” and at risk of losing public confidence. Senators raised concerns that soldiers were withdrawn from the Kebbi school hours before it was raided. Senate President Godswill Akpabio said recurring intelligence failures and internal sabotage were undermining security agencies.

Senator Adams Oshiomhole demanded an investigation into the troop withdrawal and insisted that whoever authorised it should face terrorism charges.

In the House of Representatives, a coalition from all geopolitical zones condemned the Federal Government’s talks with bandits. In a statement titled “FG’s secret negotiations with bandits are a betrayal of the Nigerian people,” the group said the approach rewards criminality and weakens national authority. They cited global examples where dialogue with violent non-state actors worsened insecurity.

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar also criticised the government, questioning why the criminals were not arrested if security agencies had located them before the release of victims.

Tinubu, in his emergency directive, approved the recruitment of 20,000 additional police officers, raising ongoing police intake to 50,000. He authorised the conversion of NYSC camps into temporary training depots and ordered that officers withdrawn from VIP duties undergo accelerated retraining before deployment to high-risk zones.

He also directed the DSS to deploy trained forest guards and recruit more personnel to “flush out terrorists hiding in forests.” Tinubu urged citizens to remain vigilant and support security agencies with intelligence.

Southern Governors, meeting in Ogun State, renewed their demand for state police, describing it as essential for protecting communities and critical infrastructure.

The Police Service Commission and the Nigeria Police Force also inaugurated a joint committee to recruit 30,000 new officers as ordered by the President.

In the FCT, security agencies activated a new intelligence network with schools following the re-launch of Operation Sweep.

Meanwhile, two parents of abducted pupils in Niger State reportedly died after receiving news of their children’s kidnap, further deepening the human toll of the crisis.