By: Kenneth Appiah Bani
Nigeria’s Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, has tendered his resignation with immediate effect, the Presidency announced on Monday. According to a statement issued by Presidential spokesperson Mayo Onanuga, the minister stepped down on health grounds.
The resignation comes at a critical moment for the country, coinciding with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s declaration of a national security emergency. The Presidency indicated that further details on the scope and implementation of the emergency measures will be provided soon.
Nigeria continues to grapple with a long-standing security crisis marked by mass kidnappings and violent attacks, but recent weeks have seen an alarming surge in incidents linked to armed bandit groups.
In one of the latest attacks, gunmen stormed a church in Kogi State during Sunday worship, abducting the pastor and nearly a dozen congregants. Just a day earlier, about 30 women—including a bride and her guests—were kidnapped in Sakoko, located in the country’s northwest.
A report by Punch newspaper estimates that nearly 490 people have been abducted across several states within a span of two weeks. This includes the shocking abduction of 315 students and staff from St. Mary’s Private Catholic Boarding School in Papiri, Niger State, in late November. Around 50 of the abducted children were able to escape.
Bandit groups, which largely operate in northwest and north-central Nigeria, routinely carry out kidnappings for ransom. The crisis is further compounded by ongoing Islamist insurgency activities in parts of the northern region.
Despite years of promises and interventions, the Nigerian government continues to face criticism for failing to adequately protect citizens, particularly children in schools, who have become prime targets for abductions.
Following the rising wave of kidnappings, President Tinubu has ordered the mass recruitment of police and military personnel as part of new emergency security measures.
However, experts warn that the country’s security agencies are already stretched thin. Oluwole Ojewale, Regional Coordinator at the Institute for Security Studies, noted in an analysis that security presence in many rural communities is “virtually non-existent,” with surveillance systems described as “very poor.”
A UK government assessment highlights that Nigeria has only 370,000 security officers to safeguard a population of more than 220 million, and a significant portion of these personnel are assigned to protect wealthy individuals and politicians.
Challenges such as inadequate equipment, low morale, insufficient training, and widespread corruption further hinder security operations. Police responses to crime are often delayed, leaving vulnerable communities exposed to attacks.
Source: DW
