Nigeria’s defense minister has resigned on health grounds during a severe national security crisis marked by a shocking surge in kidnappings. In just two weeks, nearly 500 people have been abducted by armed bandits, including a horrific mass kidnapping of over 300 students from a boarding school. This relentless violence, occurring alongside a deadly Islamist insurgency, has triggered the declaration of a state of emergency by President Bola Tinubu. However, security forces are critically overstretched, under-equipped, and poorly paid, leaving vast areas unprotected. The resignation underscores the immense pressure on a government long criticized for failing to protect its citizens, especially children in schools, raising urgent questions about the path forward in this escalating emergency.
DW
