By Maryam Shuaibu
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has declared a national security emergency, unveiling expanded military recruitment and increased defence spending as part of efforts to confront insecurity across Nigeria.
In his 2026 Democracy Day address on Friday, Tinubu said the federal government has approved the recruitment of more than 50,000 police officers and additional military personnel to strengthen security operations nationwide.
He also disclosed that ₦5.41 trillion has been allocated to defence and security in the 2026 budget, describing it as a critical investment in national stability.
“Our 2026 budget commits ₦5.41 trillion—our largest ever to defence and security,” the President said.
Tinubu claimed that terror-related deaths have dropped by 81% since 2015, adding that over 13,000 terrorists were neutralised in the past year, while more than 124,000 fighters and their dependents have surrendered since 2023 under rehabilitation programmes.
“We have moved from training with our allies… to precision targeting,” he said, referencing recent military operations in Borno State, including the degradation of ISWAP positions in Arege.
Despite these claims, insecurity continues to affect several parts of the country, with recurring cases of kidnappings and rural attacks.
The President warned armed groups to surrender or face decisive military action.
“To bandits, kidnappers, and sponsors of terror: surrender or face the full force of the Nigerian state,” he said.
He added that national unity remains essential in addressing insecurity, insisting that “crime has no ethnicity.”