…decries Oyo, Borno abductions
..pledges N5.41trn to tackle insecurity
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has declared that democracy without security is fragile, using his nationwide 2026 Democracy Day address to reinforce his administration’s hardline stance against terrorism, banditry, and kidnapping.
While celebrating twenty-seven years of unbroken civilian rule in Nigeria, the President admitted that the national mood was heavily dampened by the recent abductions of schoolchildren in Oyo and Borno States. He assured affected families that the safe return of the children remains a paramount focus of his administration.
To back his administration’s declaration of a security emergency, President Tinubu highlighted massive financial and human resource commitments aimed at overhauling the nation’s security architecture.
The 2026 national budget commits a historic N5.41 trillion to defence and security, marking the largest allocation in Nigeria’s history. This fiscal push is paired with a massive manpower boost, featuring the approved recruitment of over 50,000 new police officers alongside thousands of additional military personnel.
The President further explained that Nigerian military operations have evolved past basic allied training with partners like the United States and France into highly technical precision targeting.
He pointed to the recent degradation of an ISWAP command centre in Arege, Borno State, as proof of this capability.
According to figures available to the administration, terror-related deaths across the country have dropped by 81% since 2015, with over 13,000 terrorists neutralized in the past year alone.
>To bandits, kidnappers, and sponsors of terror: Surrender or face the full force of the Nigerian State..No mercy will be shown to those who trade in the blood of Nigerians,” he declared.
While issuing this final warning to criminal elements, Tinubu emphasized that the window for peaceful surrender remains open for now.
He noted that since 2023, more than 124,000 fighters and their dependents have successfully laid down their weapons through the Operation Safe Corridor program.
The President concluded by calling for absolute national unity, asserting that crime has no ethnicity and urging citizens to reject division and finger-pointing during these challenging times.