President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered the immediate withdrawal of police officers assigned to Very Important Persons (VIPs) nationwide, directing that the personnel be redeployed to regular policing duties.
The directive followed a high-level security meeting the President held today in Abuja with service chiefs, including the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun; Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Waidi Shaibu; Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke; and the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Tosin Adeola Ajayi.
According to the Presidency, VIPs requiring personal security are now expected to make formal requests for armed protection from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), instead of drawing from the overstretched police force.
This decision is aimed at boosting police presence in communities, particularly in rural areas where many stations reportedly operate with minimal manpower, limiting their ability to effectively safeguard lives and property.
Amid rising security concerns nationwide, President Tinubu has also approved the recruitment of 30,000 additional police personnel.
The federal government is working with states to upgrade police training facilities to support the recruitment drive.
