President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has instructed the immediate withdrawal of police officers providing security for Very Important Persons (VIPs), redirecting them to frontline policing duties across Nigeria. The move, announced following a high-level security meeting at the State House in Abuja, is part of a broader strategy aimed at increasing police presence in underserved communities.
According to a statement from his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the redeployment means that VIPs who require protection will no longer rely on the police but will instead have to request armed personnel from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
Tinubu also approved the recruitment of 30,000 additional police officers to reinforce law enforcement across the country. He emphasized that bolstering police capacity is essential to better respond to Nigeria’s escalating security threats, particularly in many rural and remote areas where police coverage is weak.
While some have welcomed the policy as a bold step to restore policing to its public service role, critics remain skeptical. The African Democratic Congress (ADC) labelled the move “cosmetic,” suggesting it does little to address deep-rooted challenges such as terrorism, banditry, and corruption.
