Nigeria/Defence Minister steps down as Nigeria declares security emergency
Mohammed Badaru Abubakar the Minister of Defence of Nigeria, has resigned for health reasons, announced the president’s office. The 63-year-old’s immediate departure comes during a severe wave of mass kidnappings placing the government under mounting pressure.
The security situation has reached a critical point. Since mid-November, at least 402 people, mostly schoolchildren, have been abducted, according to UN reports.
Just this Sunday, gunmen kidnapped at least 20 people in northern raids. Approximately 250 pupils and teachers from a school in Niger state remain missing after one of the largest recent attacks.
President Bola Tinubu, who accepted the resignation, has declared a national security emergency. His administration plans to recruit 20,000 new police officers to bolster forces.
While analysts often attribute kidnappings to ransom-seeking gangs, a presidential spokesman alleges jihadist involvement.
Abubakar, a former two-term governor of Jigawa state and key Tinubu campaign ally, was appointed Defence Minister in August 2023.
His successor is expected to be named later this week, as Nigeria confronts a perfect storm of kidnappings, insurgency, and communal violence.
