New commander for insurgency zone

President Tinubu appointed Major General Ibikunle Ajose to lead army operations in the northeast, where Islamist insurgency rages.

15 generals reshuffled before polls

Ajose's appointment was part of a major reshuffling involving 15 top generals. The moves aim to stabilize key regions before January elections.

Tinubu faces familiar challengers

Tinubu seeks a second term and will face the same main rivals from 2023: former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Governor Peter Obi.

Opposition coalition collapsed

Abubakar and Obi initially joined forces to unseat Tinubu, but their alliance fractured due to competing ambitions.

Kidnappings surge 66 percent

More than 7,800 people were kidnapped between July 2025 and June 2026, a 66 percent increase from the previous year.

Boko Haram collects ransom millions

Kidnappers received $5.8 million in ransom over that period, three times the previous year. Boko Haram collected 90 percent of those payments.

Violence disrupts farming and food

Many farmers can't access their lands due to kidnapping threats, leading to food shortages and hunger, especially in the north.

“The security question in Nigeria is closely connected to the economic one”

Rivals promise one-year fixes

Abubakar pledged to end insecurity within one year through cross-border military collaboration. Obi promised to fix it through poverty alleviation.

“You cannot create widespread poverty and expect peace”

Military spending surges 55 percent

Nigeria's military expenditure jumped 55 percent year-on-year to $2.1 billion in 2025. That figure is expected to double this year.

Salary increases for troops

Tinubu approved salary increases for military members last month as part of the massive defense investment.

Biggest expansion since civil war

The investment supports the largest military expansion since Nigeria's civil war in the late 1960s, with 28,000 new personnel planned by December.

States can create police forces

A new bill passed in June allows states to establish their own police forces, reducing pressure on federal police to secure forested extremist hideouts.

More personnel doesn't guarantee security

Kidnapping networks are highly adaptive and operate across boundaries, while security agencies don't always have the same operational reach.

“More personnel and better pay do not automatically translate into greater security”

U.S. troops deployed for counterterrorism

The United States deployed troops to assist with counterterrorism operations beginning late last year. Most withdrew in July.

Mass abductions continue despite strikes

Although U.S. strikes killed a senior Islamic State leader in May, mass abductions continue. Over 600 people were taken from Niger state last month.