AWC sees Tinubu’s security reset as a bold, necessary step toward restoring national stability
Nigeria stands at a critical crossroads, and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s declaration of a National Security Emergency, accompanied by sweeping structural reforms, marks one of the most decisive federal interventions in our recent history. For a nation bruised by terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, herders onslaught on Indeginous communities, and criminal opportunism, the President’s measures offer not only reassurance—but a renewed trajectory of hope.
Many presidents have acknowledged the security crisis; few have dared to break the mold. Tinubu, to his credit, has now done so.
A Historic Manpower Boost Long Overdue
The authorization to recruit:
- 50,000 new police officers,
- additional soldiers, airmen, and naval personnel,
- and the redeployment of VIP security details to frontline duty,
signals a dramatic shift away from cosmetic reforms toward substantive manpower expansion. Security experts have warned for years that Nigeria is dangerously under-policed—barely one officer per 900 citizens, compared to the UN recommendation of one per 450.
Tinubu’s move corrects a decades-long imbalance that has left communities unprotected while VIPs enjoyed disproportionate security privileges.
This is not just a policy shift—it is a statement of priorities.
Reclaiming the Forests: Finally Targeting the Real Battleground
For too long, Nigeria’s terrorists, bandits, and kidnapping cartels have operated from dense forests stretching across the North-West, North-Central, and parts of the South-West. These forests—Kamuku, Birnin Gwari, Kainji, Shiroro, Sambisa fringes—constitute the true center of gravity for violent non-state actors.
The President’s directive to the DSS to deploy forest tactical units, recruit more personnel, and take over deep forest operations is both timely and strategically sound.
If Nigeria is going to win this war, it must dominate the forests.
Tinubu’s policy recognizes this reality.
Breaking From the Past: VIP Security Reforms
Perhaps the most symbolic—and politically courageous—decision is the order to withdraw hundreds of police officers from VIP protection and redeploy them to national duty.
This is a reform past governments avoided for fear of offending political allies and wealthy elites. But Tinubu has made a difficult call in the interest of the nation.
The message is simple:
Public safety is more important than personal privilege.
A Push Toward State Police—At Last, a National Consensus
For years, Nigeria has flirted with the idea of state policing. Tinubu’s call for the National Assembly to amend laws for states ready to establish state police finally aligns federal leadership with popular demand.
With most governors, security experts, and civil society groups already advocating for state police, the President has effectively broken the stalemate.
If implemented correctly, state police will:
- decentralize rapid response,
- strengthen community intelligence,
- localize crime prevention, and
- reduce pressure on overstretched federal units.
This reform alone could reshape Nigeria’s security landscape for generations.
Protecting Schools and Religious Centres: A Practical, Humane Directive
Tinubu’s appeal to state governments to reconsider the vulnerability of isolated boarding schools and religious centres reflects empathy and realism. Nigeria has witnessed too many abductions in rural schools—from Chibok to Kankara to Kuriga.
This directive is long overdue and demonstrates that the President is paying attention to the human dimension of national insecurity.
Ending Farmer–Herder Clashes: A Structured Pathway Forward
By anchoring the transition to ranching under the new Ministry of Livestock Development, Tinubu signals a break from reactionary approaches. This structural solution addresses the criminal, economic, and ethno-religious layers of herders conflict-causing invasion of farmlands.
Modern livestock management remains the only sustainable route to peace.
If implemented faithfully, this reform could end a decades-long national wound.
A President Prepared to Act, Not Just Speak
The President’s message to criminals—
“Restraint must not be mistaken for weakness”—
is an important national psychological reset.
For too long, criminal groups have acted with impunity, believing the state lacked the resolve to strike decisively. Tinubu’s policy stance restores the authority of the state and signals a return to order.
But Implementation Will Be Key
As with any ambitious reform, success depends on:
- disciplined execution,
- accountability at every level,
- transparent recruitment and deployment,
- improved welfare for security personnel, and
- strict oversight to prevent abuses.
Tinubu has laid the foundation; security agencies must build upon it with integrity and urgency.
Our Verdict: A Bold, Necessary Turning Point
Nigeria cannot afford half-measures.
In declaring a National Security Emergency and ordering sweeping recruitment, redeployment, and structural reform, President Tinubu has shown rare decisiveness.
His actions deserve commendation—not for political loyalty, but for national survival.
This moment represents a reset—perhaps the strongest since the early years of the Boko Haram insurgency.
AWC calls on all stakeholders—state governments, the National Assembly, security agencies, traditional rulers, religious leaders, and citizens—to support this reform agenda with unity, vigilance, and national spirit.
For the first time in a long while, Nigeria sees a coordinated national security plan backed by political will.
If we sustain it, Nigeria will turn the corner.
If we obstruct it, the consequences will be felt by all.
– Amah Alphonsus Amaonye, Editor in Chief
