President Bola Tinubu has directed that all police personnel assigned to guard Very Important Persons (VIPs) across the country be withdrawn and redeployed to core policing functions.
The directive was issued during a high-level security meeting at the State House in Abuja, attended by top security chiefs, including Chief of Army Staff Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu; Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke; Inspector General of Police Kayode Egbetokun; and Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Tosin Adeola Ajayi.
The announcement was made through a statement by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, who noted that the decision aims to strengthen police presence nationwide and redirect manpower to essential law enforcement tasks.
According to Onanuga, “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered the withdrawal of police officers currently providing security for Very Important Persons in the country. Henceforth, police authorities will deploy them to concentrate on their core police duties.”
The new directive comes amid rising security threats and frequent cases of abductions across the country.
The presidency emphasised that VIPs who still require armed escorts will now obtain such protection from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
Onanuga added that many police stations, particularly in rural areas, suffer from inadequate staffing, which has weakened their capacity to protect the public.
Strengthening police visibility, he said, is crucial in addressing the nation’s security challenges.
He further disclosed that President Tinubu has approved the recruitment of 30,000 additional police officers, and the federal government is partnering with state governments to upgrade police training institutions across the country.
