Nigeria’s President, Bola Tinubu, has declared a national state of emergency, following a spate of kidnappings and attacks on Christians.

Up to 20,000 police officers are to be hired under Tinubu’s plans, which include authorising the use of National Youth Service Corps training camps as military facilities.

Guards will be redeployed from across the West African nation to seek out any would-be attackers hiding in forests.

“There will be no more hiding places for agents of evil,” Tinubu declared.

Nigerian security forces have so far managed to rescue 24 of the 300 schoolgirls taken from a boarding school in Kebbi state, and 38 Christians kidnapped from a church in Kwara.

“I sympathise with families who lost loved ones and pay tribute to our brave soldiers,” the President said. Although from a Muslim background, he has never publicly stated a religious affiliation. As a child, Tinubu attended a Catholic school, before studying in the United States. 

US President Donald Trump has claimed that there is a “Christian genocide” taking place in the country. It ranks seventh on Open Doors’ World Watch List of the most dangerous places to follow Jesus.

Despite Christians making up almost half of Nigeria’s population, they are frequently the target of violent attacks by herdsmen from the Fulani tribe, as well as Islamic extremists.

“There’s a failure to recognise that there is a dedicated drive to push out the Christian community,” said John Pontifex, from the charity Aid to the Church in Need.

He told Premier Christian News that attacks on churches point to a deliberate effort to wipe out the faith.

“We’ve been in close contact with bishops… there’s an ongoing sense of complete bedlam. A feeling that [for Christians], nowhere is safe.”