What’s the update on Nigeria’s security reforms?

 

Yesterday, October 20, 2026 was the sixth anniversary of the 2020 #EndSARS protests. Any update from Nigerian police on measures aimed at improving policing in Nigeria? How do we ensure that atrocities linked to the members deployed to the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad are not repeated? What’s the state of compensation to the victims of SARS? That’s no gainsaying the fact the #EndSARS protests demonstrated the organisational prowess and resilience of Nigerian youths.

Section 14(2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria, as altered said security and welfare of citizens shall be the primary purpose of government. As most of the candidates begin their campaign in earnest, one of the issues that will dominate discussion ahead of the forthcoming 2027 General Elections will be security. Why so?

Reports from Amnesty International Nigeria indicate that more than 1,100 people were abducted within a three-month period in 2026 alone. Alongside this, Vanguard reported that 1,258 people were killed in violence-related incidents within the first 41 days of 2026. Nigeria has been ranked fourth most terrorised country globally in the 2026 Global Terrorism Index released by the Institute for Economics & Peace. The report indicates that 750 Nigerians lost their lives to terrorism in 2025, a 46% increase from 2024, with Boko Haram and ISWAP being major contributors to the violence. The North-East region, particularly Borno State, remains the epicenter of extremist violence, accounting for 67% of attacks and 72% of deaths.

Physical insecurity has impacted negatively on food security as some farmers can’t access their farms in many rural communities because of fear of attacks by bandits. Travelling on Nigerian roads too has become very concerning because of the activities of the undesirable elements who kidnap for ransom. Earlier this month, 20 prospective National Youth Service Corps members were kidnapped while travelling from Oyo State to orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom States. They regained their freedom seven days after they were abducted along the Owerri-Onitsha Road in Umunoha, Imo State.

That Nigeria is facing a daunting security challenge is not in doubt. The prime focus of this commentary is to ask for updates on different government measures to tackle the menace. On November 26, 2025, President Bola Tinubu declared a nationwide security emergency and order additional recruitment into the Armed Forces. The police too were to recruit an additional 20,000 officers, bringing the total to 50,000. The president said although he had previously approved the nationwide upgrade of police training facilities, the police authorities are authorised to use various National Youth Service Corps camps as training depots.

Recall that the president had directed the immediate withdrawal of police officers attached to very important persons nationwide, ordering that the personnel be reassigned to core policing duties in communities across the country.  The DSS was also to immediately deploy all the forest guards already trained to flush out the terrorists and bandits lurking in our forests. The agency was also directed to recruit more men to man the forests.

President Tinubu said States should rethink establishing boarding schools in remote areas without adequate security. Mosques and churches should constantly seek police and other security protection when they gather for prayers, especially in vulnerable areas.

He said his administration created the Livestock Ministry to address the persistent clashes between herders and farmers.  He called on all herder associations to take advantage of it, end open grazing and surrender illegal weapons. Ranching, he said, is now the path forward for sustainable livestock farming and national harmony. How far with this assignment? I still see open grazing all over Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory.

Other measures include the constitutional alteration to establish state police. In July 2026, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu approved the expansion of the Nigerian Army from eight to 12 divisions, with four new divisions to be established in Makurdi, Ilorin, Jalingo and Benin City. He also authorised the recruitment of 28,000 additional personnel in a major push to strengthen the country’s security architecture. On August 4, 2026, the president approved a salary increase of between 30 and 80 per cent for members of Nigeria’s Armed Forces. This increase is to take effect from September 1, 2026.

It is noteworthy that Nigeria has also been enjoying support from US in the fight against insecurity. In January 2026 it was reported that the United States plans to spend N587 billion ($413.046m) on counter-insurgency operations in Nigeria and other African countries in 2026 amid worsening security conditions across West Africa. The allocation is contained in the US National Defence Authorisation Act for Fiscal Year 2026. At the beginning of this year, the US government delivered critical military supplies to Nigeria in support of the country’s ongoing security operations. This was disclosed by the United States Africa Command.

With all the aforementioned reforms and supports from the USA, why is there still palpable fear of insecurity across Nigeria? Can we have updates from the military on how many of the 28,000 new recruits have been engaged since the presidential approval was given? How many of the 50,000 police constables that the president ordered have been recruited? Can DSS furnish us the data on how many of the National Forest Guards have been recruited, trained and deployed? It’s worrisome that after the National Assembly passed the State Police Bill and sent it to the State Houses of Assembly on September 16 only ten of them had so far passed the bill. What is the issue? Why the vacillation?

As I recently said on Nigeria Info 99.3 FM Lagos, passing the bill for state police is one thing, there are still many hurdles to cross thereafter. For instance, each of the State Houses of Assembly will still have to pass their own state laws establishing the Police Service Commission as well as set out the modus operandi of state police. Thereafter, there will be issue of budgeting for building of police stations and barracks, procurement of weapons, as well as the recruitment, training and deployment of personnel. I just hope the police bill will get at least 24 state assemblies to back it, otherwise; it will make all the efforts of the National Assembly to be futile.

Political accountability on state of security in Nigeria is non-negotiable. I do hope President Tinubu will go down in history as the president who makes Nigeria secured, in truth and indeed.

I.G: @jideojong