BY AUGUSTINE OMILO
ARISING from the spate of human killings, kidnapping and termination of family destinies occasioned by banditry and terrorism, Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has finally taken the bull by the horn, as he said on the 26th of November, 2025; “Today, in view of the emerging security situation, I have decided to declare a nationwide security emergency and ordered additional recruitment into the Armed Forces.”
Though there are Nigerians with a feeling that the action is coming rather too late, everybody should hold solace in the common saying that “it is better late than never.” In the actual fact, the government’s decision has just reenacted its attitude of always waiting for the cries of the people before taking drastic decisive measures over critical obstacles to good governance.
But for the threats of invasion from President Donald Trump of America and the Nigerians’ reactions to it, the APC-led government would probably have continued to apply the ‘sidon look’ approach to the nation’s security situation. Anyhow, President Tinubu deserves commendation for this action. This is especially so, as the Nigerian leader has equally directed the Nigeria Police and the Army to recruit more personnel. The additional recruitment of 20,000 police officers to bring the number of fresh intakes into the force to 50,000 is highly commendable.
Further to increasing the federal police force, President Tinubu also called on the National Assembly to begin revising the nation’s laws to allow states to establish their own state police forces, adding that the federal government will support state governments that have established security structures to protect their populations from terrorists who disrupt peaceful coexistence.
The state of emergency declaration on insecurity is coming on the heels of the federal government’s signing of a memorandum of understanding between it and the US with a view to garnering support from the world’s most prepared country for war in the efforts to decimate terrorists in Nigeria.
In their own reaction, the governors and traditional rulers in the 19 states of Northern Nigeria have recently resolved to set aside a whopping sum of N228billion annually in a pool of security fund that is expected to aid them towards strategically fighting insecurity in the region. This is another bold step in the right direction.
However, the federal government and all the states in the country embarking on similar ventures must drum it into the ears of those driving the initiatives that they must not allow the efforts to fail through their ineptitude. They must deviate from the previous patterns where monies for fighting insecurity were later found in the deep pockets of corrupt government officials.
Despite recurring attacks on schools across the country, 30 states are yet to implement the Federal Government’s Safe Schools Initiative, founded in May 2014 after the Chibok girls’ abduction, with an initial $10m pledge and later a multi-donor trust fund coordinated with the United Nations to protect education from attacks.
The programme is backed by a-N144.8bn financing plan (2023–2026) that relies on federal, state and donor contributions, but reports show that only a fraction of the funds has been released, and state co-funding remains inconsistent.
The failure of the authorities to implement the initiative has continued to expose schools to attacks by terrorists while equally discouraging many children from enrolling into schools, thereby increasing the number of out-of-school children, particularly in Northern Nigeria.
Going forward, the 30 states that have not implemented the government’s safe schools initiative must be made to immediately begin actions along that line. Again, all monies earmarked for the purpose must be accounted for by the government with intentions to bring anyone found to have tampered with such funds to book, especially the $10m from the United Nations.
With the President’s approval of Members of a working group that includes the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Yusuf MaitamaTuggar, Minister of Defence, Mohammed BadaruAbubakar, Minister of Interior, OlubunmiTunji-Ojo, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Bernard M. Doro, Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. OlufemiOluyede, Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Amb. Mohammed Mohammed and the Inspector General of Police, KayodeEgbetokun and led the National Security Adviser, NuhuRibadu, and the nation is set to properly collaborate with the United States in a joint anti-terrorism operation to root out the rampaging criminals in Nigeria.
MallamRibadu and his team must ensure they thoroughly understand the content of the security document being signed by them, on behalf of Nigeria, with the American government. Failure to understand and ensure proper implementation of the terms of the agreement can spell doom for Nigeria instead of achieving the onerous task of dislodging terrorists from their grip of the country.
Meanwhile, to maintain the axiom that security is everybody’s business, authorities must also continue to offer awareness that ensures that all Nigerians assume the responsibility to complement security arrangements by the government. Young people must begin to embrace the issues relating to the protection of lives and properties while in schools at all levels, just as the consumption of illicit drugs that provoke deviant behaviours among the youths must be reduced to the barest minimum through proper enforcement of relevant laws.
Men and women represented by the likes of CosmasMaduka and Alhaji Dangote must not relent in telling their success stories in seminars, symposia and books. Nigerians found to have been involved in crimes, including terrorism, must also receive adequate punishments capable of deterring others from participating in dishonourable acts.
The new Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa, owes Nigerians a responsibility to reverse all the security lapses that have kept the country strangled in the clutches of corruption and faulty security policies. He must leverage his experience as the immediate past Chief of Defence Staff.
