• Tinubu orders mass military, police recruitment
• FG urges herders to embrace ranching, drop illegal arms
• Cautions states on boarding schools in remote areas
• Gani Adams seeks South-West community security network
• Yoruba Ronu faults Southern govs’ over ‘lack of national outlook’
• Military alone cannot secure Nigeria, ex-CDS Agwai warns

Confronted by worsening nationwide attacks, the Federal Government has signalled unprecedented support for state police and decentralised security frameworks, aligning with Southern leaders who insist only a multi-tiered policing system can stabilise Nigeria as federal forces struggle to contain deepening banditry and terror threats.

In a statement released by the State House yesterday, President Bola Tinubu, “in view of the emerging security situation…decided to declare a nationwide security emergency and order additional recruitment into the Armed Forces.”

The move came on the heels of recent mass abductions and killings in several parts of the country.

“Our administration will support state governments which have set up security outfits to safeguard their people from the terrorists bent on disrupting our national peace,” President Tinubu said, calling on the National Assembly to “begin reviewing our laws to allow states that require state police to establish them.”

The momentous decision by the presidency came as a joint meeting of the Southern Governors’ Forum and the Southern Nigeria Traditional Rulers Council issued a communique yesterday, calling for state policing.

“The Forum reiterated its longstanding call for the establishment of State Police as a constitutional imperative. It emphasised that the success of community-based and regional security outfits underscores the urgent need for decentralised policing.”

Also backing support for regional security structures, “the Forum resolved to enhance regional and local security outfits, including hunter associations and community-based surveillance units, through the provision of equipment, logistics, and operational support.”

President Bola Tinubu ordered large-scale recruitment across Nigeria’s security services, directing the police to enlist an additional 20,000 personnel, bringing the ongoing recruitment cycle to 50,000, as part of what he described as a nationwide security emergency.

Also, the President authorised the police to convert National Youth Service Corps camps into temporary training depots and directed that officers withdrawn from VIP protection units undergo immediate crash retraining before deployment to security-challenged areas.

Tinubu empowered the Department of State Services (DSS) to deploy trained forest guards to flush out terrorists and bandits hiding in forests, with instructions to recruit additional operatives to reinforce the operation. “There will be no more hiding places for agents of evil,” he said.

He noted that the scale of recent attacks demanded urgent, coordinated action. “This is a national emergency, and we are responding by deploying more boots on the ground,” he said, urging citizens to support security agencies and report threats promptly.

The President commended security forces for securing the release of 24 abducted schoolgirls in Kebbi State and 38 kidnapped worshippers in Kwara State, adding that efforts were ongoing to rescue remaining hostages, including the students abducted in Niger State.

Addressing the Armed Forces, Tinubu praised their courage and charged them to remain resolute. “There must be no compromise, no collusion, and no negligence. The Nigerian people are counting on you,” he said.

The President advised state governments to reconsider siting boarding schools in remote locations without adequate security and urged religious institutions in vulnerable areas to seek regular police protection.

On clashes between herders and farmers, Tinubu appealed to pastoral groups to embrace ranching, take advantage of the newly created Livestock Ministry, end open grazing and surrender illegal weapons, saying the Federal Government would partner with states to resolve the crisis.

He extended condolences to families affected by recent attacks in Kebbi, Borno, Zamfara, Niger, Yobe and Kwara States, and paid tribute to fallen soldiers, including Brigadier-General Musa Uba.

“Those who want to test our resolve should never mistake our restraint for weakness,” Tinubu said. “This administration has the courage and determination to keep the country safe and ensure our citizens live in peace.”

At the joint meeting of the Southern Governors’ Forum and the Southern Nigeria Traditional Rulers Council held at the Governor’s Residence, Iperu-Remo, Ogun State, the joint forum reaffirmed its “unwavering commitment to the unity of Nigeria, the deepening of regional collaboration, and the strengthening of a more inclusive, secure, and equitable federation.”

Besides resolutions on state policing, the Forum resolved: “Member states of each geopolitical zone will contribute to a dedicated fund to support zonal security operations and capacity building. A monthly Zonal Security Coordination Meeting of Security Advisers will be institutionalised.”

It also “adopted an intelligence-sharing framework supported by modern communication equipment and surveillance technologies, enabling real-time monitoring and coordinated responses across states. To this end, the forum resolved that each member state in each zone (that is, SW, SE & SS) shall jointly invest in equipment that will allow effective communication across state lines.”

States were advised to work closely with traditional rulers to oversee land use and curb indiscriminate allocations that could heighten security threats. The Forum further committed to tackling illegal mining, which has inflicted severe environmental harm, through coordinated efforts with environmental agencies and traditional institutions.

Member states were also urged to offer direct funding and logistical backing to their traditional councils to strengthen their contributions to governance, security and peacebuilding.

Also, in a “strong demonstration of unity, the Forum and the Southern Nigeria Traditional Rulers Council jointly passed a vote of confidence in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in recognition of his leadership and unwavering commitment to national stability and reform.”

The Forum condemned efforts to spread division, misinformation and fear in the region, assuring citizens that Southern Nigeria remains united, cohesive and committed to harmonious coexistence across religious and cultural boundaries. It vowed to maintain a unified stance, protect the South’s shared interests and continue partnering with the Federal Government to advance peace, stability and national development.

Earlier, Chairman of the Southern Governors’ Forum, Governor Dapo Abiodun, said the push for state police has become unavoidable in the face of rising security threats and economic pressures linked to banditry and extremism across the region.

Abiodun said the governors would not retreat from their collective demand, noting that state-controlled policing would strengthen local security structures and better safeguard citizens from kidnapping and other violent crimes. He called for a unified Southern position to enhance intelligence gathering and early-warning systems, particularly to protect schools, farmlands, border communities and critical infrastructure.

The Ogun governor warned that worsening insecurity threatens investments and major industrial corridors, including seaports, airports, railways, forests and highways, which he described as weak points exploited by violent groups.

He urged governors to deepen collaboration with traditional rulers and security agencies, especially vigilante outfits working in remote communities, to reinforce local security plans and protect residents in border areas exposed to criminal attacks.

Abiodun also urged his colleagues to confront threats such as cultism, kidnapping, banditry, armed robbery, pipeline vandalism, oil bunkering, internet fraud and persistent farmer–herder conflicts, which he said were driven by internal and external actors.

He said: “Distinguished colleagues, the creation of state police remains a non-negotiable component of our collective demand for true federalism and effective grassroots security.”

He added that recent mass abductions had shown that no region is insulated from organised criminality. Decentralising policing, he said, would allow states to take direct responsibility for protecting their citizens.

Abiodun stressed that traditional rulers must be fully involved as “custodians of culture and the closest authority to the grassroots”, saying the South must work towards a region where peace and mobility are shared goals “rooted in unity rather than division.”

He said insecurity is spreading rapidly, and geography is no longer a buffer. With dense populations and major transport and industrial assets, Southern Nigeria faces unique exposure to threats, he argued.

He urged governors to shift from “assumed safety” to deliberate, structured security planning, and reiterated the forum’s unanimous support for state police.

To tackle threats effectively, he proposed an integrated security framework anchored on intelligence-sharing, border protection, safe-school systems, corridor surveillance and community participation.

He said a real-time digital platform linking all Southern states would ensure rapid threat alerts, while a comprehensive Safe School Programme should protect educational institutions in vulnerable locations. Joint audits of major transport corridors would help identify weak points and guide the deployment of rapid response teams.

Abiodun also called for stronger Community–Private Security Partnerships, bringing together vigilance groups, youth teams, private security firms and formal agencies into one coordinated system.

Governors at the meeting included Siminalayi Fubara (Rivers), Alex Otti (Abia), Biodun Oyebanji (Ekiti), Francis Nwifuru (Ebonyi), Peter Mbah (Enugu), Charles Soludo (Anambra), Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos) and Lucky Aiyedatiwa (Ondo).

Deputy governors in attendance were Kola Adewusi (Osun), Bayo Lawal (Oyo), Peter Odey (Cross River) and Dennis Idahosa (Edo).

Gani Adams urges S’West govs to establish community security network

The Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Adams, yesterday urged governors in the South-West to act swiftly on warnings about insecurity encroaching into the region by establishing a dedicated Community Security Network to avert a looming crisis.

Speaking at the 2025 Ajagunmale Festival held at Lekki Guest House in the Lekki LCDA, Adams said the proposal had become urgent given the country’s deteriorating security situation, with bandits and terrorists occupying forests and communities in several parts of the North.

He said: “It is time we prepare and have our own community security network aside from the Federal Government’s security architecture. This is the only way to ensure that the heritage left for us by our forebears is not destroyed by these terrorists trying to invade Yorubaland.”

Adams proposed the recruitment of about 300 security personnel across the region, with an estimated N40 million required to cover their salaries. He explained that no local government receives less than N450 million in federal allocation, adding that paying a minimum of N50,000 per recruit would cost about N15 million.

“To effectively equip and run this Community Security Network, and to employ about 20 retired security officers to coordinate their activities, the chairmen would not spend more than about N40 million,” he said.

He added that such an initiative would mark the beginning of securing Yorubaland, after which security consultants could be engaged to train personnel in intelligence gathering.

Adams revealed that he had received intelligence reports indicating that terrorists were attempting to infiltrate the region through Idoani in Ondo State and the Iyamoye forest in Ekiti State. He warned that the country’s security agencies and architecture had been infiltrated and could not be fully trusted to repel such threats.

He cautioned against framing the security crisis as solely religious, describing it instead as “a tripartite combination of religious, ethnic and economic challenge.” He said it contains “the element of religious genocide, the element of ethnic cleansing and at the same time, economic sabotage.”

Yoruba Ronu faults Southern govs’ forum meeting, says outcomes lack national focus
A South-West socio-political group, the Yoruba Ronu Leadership Forum, yesterday criticised the recent meeting of the Southern Governors’ Forum in Abeokuta, saying its resolutions failed to reflect a nationalistic outlook.

In a statement, the Forum’s President, Akin Malaolu, said the tone of the opening address delivered by Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, did not demonstrate the level of patriotism required at a time when Nigeria “stands at a crossroads.”

Malaolu argued that the current crop of Southern governors had not shown the sense of purpose and cohesion exhibited during the tenure of the late Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, who, he said, galvanised regional unity and attracted nationwide interest in the Forum’s decisions.

“Not only were the people of the South carried along, but the North also showed interest in the outcomes of their deliberations. It was a period marked by genuine nationalistic desire for the peace and harmony the nation sought then and still seeks today,” he said. He contended that the posture of the Southern governors now appeared “more like a duel against the North” and therefore fell short of a truly national agenda. According to him, many Southerners were unaware of the Forum’s recent resolutions and remained disconnected “in spirit and body.”

Malaolu warned that nation-building must prioritise harmony and peace, not “the gangster behaviour we have witnessed since the inception of Tinubu’s government.” He accused the administration of presiding over a collapsing economy and worsening insecurity affecting both urban and rural communities.

Military power alone cannot secure Nigeria, ex-CDS Agwai warns
Former Chief of Defence Staff, Gen Martin Luther Agwai (rtd), has cautioned that Nigeria cannot rely solely on military force to guarantee national security, stressing the need for stronger economic capacity, technological advancement, diplomacy and effective leadership.

Speaking yesterday at the 10th anniversary of the Nigerian Army Resource Centre (NARC) in Abuja, where he delivered a lecture titled “Knowledge, Power and National Security in the 21st Century: Nigeria in Perspective”, Agwai said the military must be properly equipped and trained, but added that broader national strengths are equally vital.

He said: “Projecting power, the military is one of the areas we can project our power. But there are so many other ways we can. First of all, we even need to equip the military properly, train them properly and provide them with the necessary weapons.

“We also need to strengthen our economic power. We also need to diversify our economy and create jobs and train people to be job creators, not job seekers every now and then.”

Agwai said reducing poverty and addressing unchecked population growth were critical to tackling insecurity, warning that overstretching national resources without creating opportunities would worsen instability.

“If you overpopulate the system and you do not know how to absorb them, we will continue to grapple with insecurity,” he said. The former defence chief expressed shock over recent attacks in which bandits stormed schools and abducted pupils in Kebbi and Niger states, and carried out killings and kidnappings in Kwara State.

“Why must we go to threaten, kill, and slaughter others? I’m so taken aback that in the past two weeks or so… what is happening?” he asked. “We didn’t need somebody in America to tell us that you have problems in Nigeria. The problems of Nigeria are big for Nigeria, and I am so sure that we can solve our national issues if we take them and know that the survival of Nigeria collectively is important.”

Agwai urged Nigerians to embrace tolerance, peaceful coexistence and responsible communication, and to maintain trust in one another and in political leadership for national progress.

Osun Security Council reviews measures to counter rising threats
The Osun State Security Council yesterday met to review existing security arrangements and draft new service-wide measures aimed at protecting lives and property from both local and external threats.

According to a statement issued by the spokesperson to the governor, Olawale Rasheed, the meeting was attended by all service commanders and was presided over by the Deputy Governor, Kola Adewusi. It reached far-reaching decisions designed to strengthen the state’s defences against infiltration by bandits and domestic criminals.

Adewusi conveyed Governor Ademola Adeleke’s commendation to the security heads and expressed confidence that ongoing initiatives would further enhance the safety of residents.

The council also urged members of the public to deepen their cooperation with security agencies by providing timely information and reporting suspicious activities in their communities.

Southern traditional rulers pass vote of confidence in Tinubu
The Permanent Chairman of the Southern Nigeria Traditional Rulers Council and Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi, has reiterated the need for traditional institutions to rally behind President Bola Tinubu’s administration to curb the rising wave of insecurity across the country.

Speaking at the council’s meeting in Iperu-Remo, Ogun State, Oba Ogunwusi said traditional rulers remain closest to the grassroots, a position that places them in a strategic role to support government efforts in finding lasting solutions to insecurity.

He called for “all hands on deck” in the fight against criminality, stressing that collaboration among traditional institutions would bolster security interventions and strengthen community vigilance.

The monarch added that traditional rulers from southern Nigeria would not abandon the President at this critical time, disclosing that the council has resolved to pass a vote of confidence in Tinubu as a demonstration of solidarity and support.

Among the traditional rulers at the meeting were the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade; the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi; the Dein of Agbor, Benjamin Ikenchukwu Keagborekuzi; and the Olota of Ota, Oba Adeyemi Obalanlege, alongside several others drawn from the southern states.