President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the immediate withdrawal of police personnel assigned to guard Very Important Persons (VIPs) nationwide, ordering their redeployment to communities where they can focus on core policing duties.
The directive was issued during a high-level security meeting held on Sunday at the State House, Abuja. Present at the meeting were key security chiefs, including the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Waidi Shaibu; Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke; Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun; and Director-General of the DSS, Tosin Adeola Ajayi.
According to a statement by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Tinubu stated that VIPs who still require close protection will henceforth rely on the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), which will provide armed personnel for such duties.
The decision forms part of a broader strategy to strengthen police presence in underserved and remote communities, where inadequate staffing has weakened the protection of lives and property.
“In light of the prevailing security challenges, President Tinubu is committed to increasing police visibility in all communities,” the statement said.
To support this initiative, the President has approved the recruitment of an additional 30,000 police officers and is working with state governments to upgrade police training facilities nationwide.
The new deployment plan is expected to reinforce frontline policing as the government steps up efforts to tackle rising insecurity across the country.