President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the immediate withdrawal of police officers attached to Very Important Persons (VIPs) nationwide, ordering that the personnel be reassigned to core policing duties in communities across the country.
The directive was issued on Sunday during a high-level security meeting at the State House, Abuja, attended by top security chiefs, including 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 Director-General of the Department of State Services, Tosin Adeola Ajayi.
According to a statement by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu stated that VIPs in need of protection would henceforth rely on the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), which will provide armed personnel for their security requirements.
The President explained that the move was part of a broader effort to expand police presence in underserved and remote communities where officers are currently too few to effectively respond to mounting security challenges.
“In view of the current security challenges facing the country, President Tinubu is desirous of boosting police presence in all communities,” the statement read.
To reinforce this shift, Tinubu approved the recruitment of 30,000 additional police personnel, with plans underway to upgrade police training facilities in collaboration with state governments.
The new deployment strategy is expected to strengthen frontline policing as the Federal Government intensifies efforts to curb rising threats, including banditry, kidnapping and communal violence nationwide.
