Nigeria Boosts Armed Forces Amid Rising Violence

President Bola Tinubu announced a fresh expansion of the Nigerian army amid a surge of attacks by bandits, Islamist militants and separatist groups.

The plan adds 28,000 new recruits and establishes four new divisions, bringing the total number of divisions to 12. The measure aims to give commanders better coverage over territory stretching across multiple states.

Security experts say the expansion will improve coordination, intelligence sharing and quicker response times, but also warn that recruiting new soldiers may be challenging amid recent casualties.

During the past week, a bandit attack in Zamfara claimed at least 20 lives and a school in Borno was raided, with 46 students taken hostage – later rescued by the army just hours after.

The initiative is part of a broader security push that includes 50,000 new police, a 5.41 tn naira defence budget and US‑Nigerian joint operations against Islamist insurgents.

Instituting new headquarters in the north‑east and central Nigeria will help focus efforts on hotspots where conflict between farmers and herders and militant activity is high.