ABUJA: President Bola Tinubu has directed the immediate withdrawal of police officers attached to Very Important Persons (VIPs) across the country, insisting that the officers be redeployed to strengthen core policing duties nationwide.
The directive was announced in a statement issued on Sunday by presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, following a high-level security meeting the President held in Abuja with the heads of the Police, Army, Air Force, and the Department of State Services (DSS).
According to the statement, VIPs who still require security escorts will now obtain armed protection from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), not the Nigeria Police Force.
Tinubu’s decision follows concerns that many rural and remote communities have an insufficient number of police officers, leaving residents vulnerable to rising security threats.
“In view of the current security challenges facing the nation, the President is determined to enhance police presence in all communities,” Onanuga stated.
As part of the reforms, President Tinubu also approved the recruitment of 30,000 additional police officers, a move aimed at boosting manpower and improving response to crime nationwide.
The statement further disclosed that the Federal Government is working with state governments to upgrade police training facilities across Nigeria to ensure better-prepared personnel.
Those in attendance at the meeting included:
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Lt. Gen. Waidi Shaibu, Chief of Army Staff
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Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, Chief of Air Staff
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IGP Kayode Egbetokun, Inspector-General of Police
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Tosin Adeola Ajayi, Director-General, DSS
The meeting underscored the administration’s renewed focus on community security and the reallocation of police resources to address urgent national threats.
