President Bola Tinubu has approved plans to recruit 28,000 additional soldiers and 50,000 police officers as part of efforts to strengthen security operations across Nigeria.
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The proposed recruitment, covering 78,000 personnel, was disclosed in a statement issued on Sunday by Dele Alake, spokesperson for the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council.
According to the statement, the approval forms part of a proposed Five-Year Strategic Defence Operations Plan aimed at expanding manpower, improving operational effectiveness and addressing terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other crimes.
The council said the additional 28,000 soldiers would strengthen military deployments, while the 50,000 police officers would reinforce internal security and improve policing capacity.
It also disclosed plans for four new Army divisions and the restructuring of existing formations to expand operational coverage.
Two additional Army training depots were identified in Osogbo, Osun State, and Amasiri-Edda, Ebonyi State.
The statement said each facility could accommodate 6,000 recruits, providing a combined training capacity of 12,000 personnel.
It added that 5,210 recruits were already undergoing training at the Osogbo facility.
The council also highlighted a 700-unit military barracks project in Ikere-Ekiti, Ekiti State, as part of efforts to improve accommodation and operational infrastructure.
On counterinsurgency operations, the council claimed that security forces had killed more than 15,000 terrorists and bandits within three years.
It further claimed that over 130,000 Boko Haram fighters and their dependants had surrendered through Operation Safe Corridor.
These figures were presented as claims by the council, rather than independently verified findings.
No timetable was provided for when the approved positions would be filled or how recruitment would proceed.
What prospective applicants should know
Although the statement announced recruitment approvals, it did not provide application dates, eligibility conditions or registration portals for either service.
Interested Nigerians should therefore distinguish the manpower approval from an official invitation to submit applications.
Prospective candidates are advised to monitor announcements from the Nigerian Army and Nigeria Police Force (NPF) for verified recruitment instructions.
Applicants should also avoid unofficial agents demanding payment for recruitment forms, screening invitations or guaranteed placements.
