Deployment of Police Officers to Core Duties
As part of a strategic move to combat terrorism and improve public safety, President Bola Tinubu has ordered the withdrawal of approximately 100,000 police officers who are currently assigned to protect VIPs and politicians. These officers will be redeployed to core policing duties, including counter-insurgency operations, as the country faces an increasing threat from armed groups.
This directive was issued during a security meeting held in Abuja, attended by senior military and law enforcement officials. The President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, confirmed that VIPs will now be protected by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps instead of the police. This change aims to address the critical shortage of police personnel available for community policing and crime prevention.
Despite previous promises from successive Inspectors-General of Police to withdraw officers from VIP protection, these measures have not been fully implemented. A report by the European Union Agency for Asylum highlighted that the Nigeria Police Force has an estimated strength of 371,800 officers serving a population of about 236.7 million people. However, many areas, especially remote ones, lack sufficient police presence, making it difficult to protect and defend the population effectively.
The PUNCH, in an editorial, reiterated the need to redeploy police officers from protecting prominent individuals and politicians. Onanuga emphasized that the President is committed to boosting police presence in all communities, ensuring better public safety.
In addition to the redeployment, the President has approved the recruitment of 30,000 additional police personnel. The Federal Government is also working with states to upgrade police training facilities nationwide.
Military Review Following School Attack
Following reports that troops guarding St. Mary Private Primary and Secondary Schools in Papiri, Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State, were withdrawn minutes before the school was attacked, the Defence Headquarters has initiated a review of troop redeployment. Kebbi State Governor, Nasir Idris, demanded explanations from military authorities over the withdrawal of troops from the school after it was allegedly abandoned by those deployed to protect the pupils.
Governor Idris expressed deep concern over the incident, stating that intelligence alerts had been provided by the state government. He questioned who gave the order for the troops to withdraw at such a critical hour and called for a full military investigation into the circumstances surrounding the attack.
Similarly, the District Head of Maga, Muhammad Dantani, confirmed the presence of soldiers at the school around midnight but noted that they left about an hour later. He added that police personnel at the location took cover when the attackers arrived because the bandits were too many and heavily armed.
In response to the development, the Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj. Gen. Michael Onoja, stated that the military is investigating the governor’s allegations. Onoja said the review would determine the circumstances surrounding troop movements in the area at the time of the attack, adding that corrective measures would be taken if any lapses were found.
Intensified Military Efforts to Locate Abducted Students
In a related development, the Theatre Commander of Operation Fansan Yamma, Maj. Gen. Warrah Idris, has ordered troops to intensify efforts to locate the armed group behind the abduction of the students. During an assessment visit to the school on Saturday, General Idris received a detailed briefing from the General Officer Commanding 2 Division and Commander of Sector 3 OPFY, Maj Gen C.R. Nnebiefe, on the joint rescue efforts currently underway.
Idris directed troops to maintain overwhelming pressure until the students are safely recovered. “The bandits are clearly feeling the heat of our operations and will find no safe haven,” he said. “Remain vigilant and relentless. They must not be given any breathing space until every child is back home.”
A senior officer at the scene, speaking on condition of anonymity, reinforced the military’s confidence. “We are closing in on them. The operations are coordinated and precise. Rescuing these children is our top priority,” the officer said.
Community leaders in Papiri expressed renewed hope following the high-level military visit. “Seeing the commanders on the ground reassures us,” one community representative said. “We believe this operation will bring our children home.”
School Closures and Criticisms
Meanwhile, Col. Ahmed Usman (retd.), Special Adviser on Security to Governor Ahmed Aliyu of Sokoto State, has criticized the ongoing closure of schools across northern Nigeria, describing it as an ineffective response to rising insecurity. The Kebbi State Government ordered the immediate closure of all public and private secondary schools across the state following the rising security threats, marking one of the most sweeping shutdowns of the education sector in recent years.
The decision was made to safeguard students and staff amid “the recent disturbing cases of attacks in parts of the state.” The shutdown affects hundreds of secondary schools, including government day schools, boarding schools, and privately owned institutions across all 21 local government areas.
However, Usman argued that such actions are a serious setback and encourage the perpetrators. He urged security agencies, traditional rulers, and both federal and state governments to intensify collaboration to secure communities and learning centres.
Escapes and Releases
Fifty of the schoolgirls abducted from St. Mary Private Primary and Secondary Schools in Papiri, Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State, have escaped from captivity and reunited with their parents. The Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria in Niger State and Bishop of Kontagora Diocese, Most Rev. Bulus Yohanna, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday through his media aide, Daniel Atori.
Separately, 38 worshippers abducted last Tuesday from the Christ Apostolic Church, Oke Isegun, Eruku, in the Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State, have regained their freedom. The victims were released on Sunday afternoon following a sustained joint operation by security agencies deployed immediately after the attack.
International Response
Pope Leo XIV on Sunday called for the immediate release of the Kebbi schoolgirls, expressing his “deep sorrow, especially for the many young boys and girls kidnapped and for their anguished families.” He also urged prayers for churches and schools to remain places of safety and hope.
Political Reactions
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has warned that the recent surge in abductions and coordinated attacks across the North bears the hallmark of “an organised, choreographed and orchestrated” campaign by fifth columnists seeking to create national panic ahead of 2027. Deputy National Organising Secretary of the APC, Nze Chidi Duru, assured that the President has already taken full ownership of the crisis and is leading efforts to halt the violence.
A former member of the Osun State House of Assembly, Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, urged President Tinubu and the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, to identify and prosecute saboteurs within the security system as well as their external collaborators.
