President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the immediate withdrawal of police officers assigned to protect Very Important Persons (VIPs) across the country, ordering that they be redeployed to strengthen core policing functions nationwide.
The directive was issued on Sunday during a high-level security meeting held at the State House, Abuja, with service chiefs and the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS) in attendance.
Under the new policy, VIPs who require personal protection will now be expected to request armed security personnel from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) rather than the Nigeria Police Force.
According to the Presidency, the decision is aimed at boosting police presence in communities, particularly remote areas where stations are grossly understaffed, thereby limiting the force’s capacity to effectively protect citizens.
In response to Nigeria’s mounting security challenges, President Tinubu has also approved the recruitment of 30,000 additional police officers. The Federal Government is working with state governments to upgrade police training facilities across the country.
Sunday’s security briefing was attended by the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Waidi Shaibu; Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke; Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun; and the DSS Director-General, Tosin Adeola Ajayi.
The announcement was conveyed in a statement signed by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
