President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered the immediate withdrawal of police personnel assigned as escorts and security aides to Very Important Persons (VIPs) across the country.
The directive was issued during a high-level security meeting held on Sunday in Abuja, attended by service chiefs, the Inspector-General of Police, the Chief of Defence Staff, representatives of the Nigerian Air Force and Army, and the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS).
A senior official present at the meeting told 9News Nigeria that the President expressed strong dissatisfaction with the growing diversion of police manpower to non-core duties, particularly VIP escorts while communities across the country continue to face rising security threats.
According to him, “the President was clear: the police must return to policing.
“He said Nigeria cannot continue a situation where thousands of officers guard individuals while ordinary citizens and rural areas remain vulnerable.”
Authorities say that the President is pushing a new security philosophy that prioritises: Rapid response capability; Reallocation of manpower to strengthen intelligence gathering and community-level operations and Visibility policing in neighbourhoods, markets, highways, and rural communities.
An internal review presented at the meeting reportedly showed that a large number of police personnel estimated in the thousands are currently attached to politicians, business figures, contractors, and private individuals, significantly weakening the force’s operational strength.
Following the directive, VIPs intending to secure armed escorts must now formally request protection from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), which will henceforth oversee such deployments.
However, officials insist the President is determined to reclaim the police for the Nigerian people.
“The President believes Nigeria’s security architecture must serve the public first, not private individuals.” A source confirmed.
