President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered the immediate withdrawal of all police officers attached to VIP escort and protection duties, directing their redeployment to bolster frontline policing across the country.
The directive was announced on Sunday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, following a high-level security strategy meeting with military and intelligence chiefs in Abuja.
Onanuga said the President expressed concern that thousands of police personnel were being dedicated to VIPs at a time when the country is confronting rising security threats and understaffed police formations.
“The President has directed that police officers guarding VIPs be withdrawn and redeployed for essential policing responsibilities across the country,” Onanuga said. “VIPs who still desire armed protection will now have to request well-armed operatives from the NSCDC.”
He added that the directive is aimed at reversing manpower shortages in police stations, particularly, in rural and underserved communities.“Many parts of our country operate with only a handful of officers. This decision is part of President Tinubu’s effort to boost policing presence where Nigerians actually need protection, not just around privileged individuals,” Onanuga stated.
The Presidency also confirmed approval for the recruitment of 30,000 new police officers and an ongoing partnership with state governments to upgrade and modernise police training facilities.
Top security officials at the meeting included Chief of Army Staff Lt. Gen. Waidi Shaibu, Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun, and Director-General of the DSS Tosin Adeola Ajayi.
The President’s directive put to rest successive administrations debate and inaction on the need to withdraw police personnel from VIP protection posts, acknowledging that the practice drains manpower from regular policing.
Despite multiple committees and policy proposals, past administrations had repeatedly hesitated to enforce the measure, largely due to political pushback from influential office holders who insist on armed escorts as a status norm.
The renewed directive comes at a time when Nigeria is grappling with escalating security challenges, from rural banditry and kidnapping to urban armed robbery and communal tensions.
Many police divisions, especially in remote communities, operate with severely limited officers, hampering rapid response and public safety efforts.The withdrawal of VIP escorts is therefore seen as a critical step toward reallocating scarce policing resources to areas of real vulnerability.
