Abduction Crisis: Tinubu Declares Security Emergency as Lawmakers Reject Bandit Negotiations
Abduction Crisis: Tinubu Declares Security Emergency as Lawmakers Reject Bandit Negotiations
President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday announced a nationwide security emergency, directing the armed forces, police, and intelligence agencies to fast-track recruitment and deploy thousands of new operatives. The decision comes amid a sharp rise in kidnappings and violent attacks recorded across several states in the past week.
He further appealed to the National Assembly to begin the process of creating a legal framework for state police, noting that decentralised policing has become essential in confronting Nigeria’s escalating insecurity. Tinubu emphasised that recent developments show that the nation can no longer rely solely on federal security structures.
In a rare break from their usual cooperation with the executive, several Senators and House of Representatives members criticised the Federal Government for engaging in negotiations with bandits responsible for the abductions in Kwara and Kebbi States. They demanded an immediate halt to the talks and called for disciplinary action against the official who ordered the withdrawal of troops from Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, where 24 girls were kidnapped on November 17.
The Kebbi attack turned deadly, with the vice principal, Hasan Makuku, shot dead and the principal seriously injured. Although about 50 girls escaped during the chaos, many others remain in captivity. Just four days later, gunmen stormed St. Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri, Agwara LGA of Niger State, abducting more than 300 pupils and a dozen teachers.
In Kwara State, another armed group invaded a CAC church, killing at least two worshippers and abducting 38 others. The church victims were eventually released on Sunday, while the students regained freedom on Tuesday, though the wave of coordinated assaults continues to heighten national anxiety.
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