State of Emergency on Security: Why the US–Nigeria airstrike marks a turning point for Northern Nigeria, by Love Obiani Arugu The declaration of a state of emergency on security in Northern Nigeria represents one of the most consequential decisions in Nigeria’s contemporary governance and security history. It is an acknowledgement that the scale, persistence, and complexity of insecurity—spanning terrorism, banditry, and organised violent crime—had exceeded the capacity of routine security responses. This declaration was not symbolic; it was strategic. It laid the foundation for decisive actions, including the US–Nigeria airstrike cooperation. For decades,...