Nigeria is once again confronting the grim reality of a deepening security crisis, forcing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to take the rare step of declaring a “nationwide security emergency” on November 26. The decision-driven by an alarming spike in terrorist attacks, mass abductions, and deadly assaults-underscores how fragile stability has become in Africa’s most populous nation. With kidnappings returning to levels reminiscent of the darkest days of Boko Haram’s insurgency, Tinubu has ordered a sweeping expansion of the security apparatus, hoping to curb the chaos engulfing several states.

The president’s declaration came shortly after he canceled a planned visit to South Africa for the G20 Summit, a diplomatic absence that signaled the seriousness of domestic threats. In a formal announcement, Tinubu stated, “In view of the emerging security situation, I have decided to declare a nationwide security emergency and order additional recruitment into the Armed Forces.” With those words, he effectively acknowledged that Nigeria’s security forces-stretched thin for years-can no longer meet the demands of the escalating violence.

Central to Tinubu’s emergency plan is a major recruitment drive: the police will hire an additional 20,000 officers, raising the total number of new recruits planned to 50,000. Many of these recruits will be fast-tracked into deployment in states most affected by banditry and terrorism, including Kaduna, Niger, Zamfara, Kebbi, and parts of Kogi.

To accelerate the buildup,........

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