President Bola Tinubu has ordered the immediate withdrawal of police officers attached to VIPs across the country.
Tinubu issued the directive on Sunday during a security meeting held at the State House with the inspector-general of police, the chiefs of army and air staff, and the director-general of the Department of State Services (DSS).
A statement on Sunday by Bayo Onanuga, the president’s special adviser on information and strategy, said Tinubu ordered that the personnel be redeployed to core policing duties in communities.
Under the new arrangement, VIPs who require security protection will now be expected to request armed personnel from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), rather than the police.
The presidency said the move is aimed at boosting police presence in communities, especially remote areas where stations are understaffed and citizens remain vulnerable to attacks.
“Many parts of Nigeria, especially remote areas, have few policemen at the stations, thus making the task of protecting and defending the people difficult,” the statement reads, noting that Tinubu wants officers “to concentrate on their core police duties”.
To reinforce the new push, Tinubu has also approved the recruitment of 30,000 additional police officers nationwide, with plans underway to upgrade training facilities in collaboration with state governments.
Those present at the Abuja meeting included Waidi Shaibu, chief of army staff; Sunday Kelvin Aneke, chief of air staff; Kayode Egbetokun, inspector-general of police; and Tosin Adeola Ajayi, director-general of the DSS.
The presidency said the directive forms part of a broader security strategy intended to strengthen law enforcement capacity and improve public safety across the country
