President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has issued a decisive directive ordering the withdrawal of police officers currently assigned as security escorts to Very Important Persons (VIPs) across Nigeria.
The directive, announced in a statement by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, marks a major shift in the nation’s security management. Tinubu said police personnel attached to private individuals and political office holders must now be reassigned to strengthen regular policing functions nationwide.
Following the new presidential order, all VIPs who require official security protection must now apply for armed personnel from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), signaling a structural change in VIP protection protocols.
The directive was issued during a high-level security meeting held on Sunday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, attended by the heads of Nigeria’s major security agencies, including the Chief of Army Staff, Chief of Air Staff, Inspector General of Police, and the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS).
The presidency acknowledged that many remote and rural communities remain critically under-policed, making it difficult for officers to effectively safeguard lives and property. Tinubu emphasized that increasing police visibility at the grassroots level is essential, especially given the heightened insecurity across several regions.
To address this gap, the President has approved the recruitment of 30,000 new police officers, while efforts are underway in partnership with state governments to upgrade police training institutions across the country.
Those in attendance at the closed-door security session include: Lt. Gen. Waidi Shaibu, Chief of Army Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, Chief of Air Staff, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, Inspector General of Police, Dr. Tosin Adeola Ajayi, Director-General, Department of State Services
The meeting also reviewed recent security breaches, including the attacks in Kwara State where abducted Catholic schoolchildren and worshippers were eventually released.
The withdrawal of VIP police escorts is expected to free thousands of officers for active duty in public policing, marking one of the most sweeping security reforms of the Tinubu administration. The move has already generated nationwide debate, with many citizens welcoming it as a step toward a more responsive police force.
