President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the immediate withdrawal of police officers currently assigned to guard Very Important Persons (VIPs), ordering that the personnel be redeployed to strengthen core policing duties across the country.
The directive was issued during a high-level security meeting held on Sunday in Abuja, attended by service chiefs and the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS). According to the Presidency, the measure aims to address Nigeria’s critical shortage of police personnel, particularly in rural and underserved communities where insecurity has escalated in recent months.
Under the new policy, VIPs requiring armed protection will no longer rely on the Nigeria Police Force. Instead, they will request security operatives from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), which will now assume the responsibility previously handled by police escorts.
A State House statement signed by Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, explained that the decision is part of President Tinubu’s broader effort to strengthen policing capacity nationwide.
“Many parts of Nigeria, especially remote areas, have few policemen at the stations, making the task of protecting and defending the people difficult,” the statement noted. “In view of current security challenges, President Tinubu is desirous of boosting police presence in all communities.”
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The President has already approved the recruitment of 30,000 additional police officers, and the federal government is collaborating with state governments to upgrade police training facilities across the country.
Sunday’s meeting was attended by the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General 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 directive marks one of the administration’s most sweeping security reforms yet, signaling a shift toward prioritizing public safety over VIP protection at a time when kidnapping, banditry, and terrorism continue to strain security agencies nationwide.