President Bola Tinubu has directed the immediate withdrawal of police officers currently assigned to provide personal security for Very Important Persons (VIPs) across the country.
The directive, issued yesterday, is part of the administration’s renewed effort to strengthen national security, boost police presence in communities, and ensure that more officers are deployed for core policing duties rather than private protection.
According to the new order, only a limited number of top government officials and constitutionally recognized office holders will retain police escorts. All other individuals—politicians, businessmen, and private citizens—
who have been enjoying police protection will have their officers recalled without delay.Presidency sources disclosed that the move aims to address the shortage of police manpower nationwide and to stop the widespread misuse of security personnel by influential individuals.
Security analysts have long argued that thousands of officers are assigned to VIPs instead of performing public safety duties, contributing to rising insecurity in many states
.The Inspector-General of Police has been instructed to begin immediate implementation of the directive and ensure full compliance across all commands.