Armed groups operating in Nigeria must "surrender or face the full force" of the state, the country's President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has warned.

🌐 Here's What Happened

Speaking during a national broadcast marking Nigeria's Democracy Day, he said that although the year's celebrations had been "dampened" by the recent kidnappings of school children, security remained at the heart of the government.

Nigeria has long battled with an economic crisis and insecurity.

Public fear has been reignited as attacks on schools and villages as well as mass abductions for ransom have increased, largely in the country's northern and central regions.

📌 Key Details

Referring specifically to the abduction of children in Oyo and Borno states, Tinubu said the authorities "remain hopeful for their safe return".

"Democracy without security is not solid enough", he explained, as he announced more than 50,000 new police officers and allocated record 5.41tn naira ($4bn; £3bn) to defence and security in the yearly budget.

Defending his government's security record since coming into office in May 2023, he said that the military had killed 13,000 "terrorists" in the past year, while civilian deaths as a result of insurgents were down by 81% since 2015.

Tinubu added that more than 124,000 fighters and their dependants had also laid down their arms under a government initiative called Operation Safe Corridor.

But security analysts have said attacks are continuing to affect communities across several states, and are now spreading to southern parts of the country.

Civil society groups have mobilised peaceful marches across Nigeria's major state capitals, calling for action against insecurity and economic hardship.

📰 Source: BBC Africa