President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered the immediate withdrawal of police officers assigned to guard Very Important Persons (VIPs) across the country, directing that they be redeployed to core policing functions to strengthen national security.
The directive was issued during a high-level security meeting held on Sunday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, attended by service chiefs and the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS).
Under the new policy, VIPs requiring security protection will now be expected to apply for armed escorts from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), rather than the Nigeria Police Force.
Presidential aides noted that many communities, especially in remote areas, suffer acute shortages of police personnel , a situation the President described as undermining the nation’s ability to protect lives and property. The redeployment of officers from VIP duties is expected to boost police presence nationwide.
In addition to the new directive, President Tinubu has approved the recruitment of 30,000 additional police personnel, while the Federal Government is partnering with state governments to upgrade police training facilities across the country.
Sunday’s security briefing was attended by 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 the Director-General of the DSS, Tosin Adeola Ajayi.
The move aligns with the administration’s Renewed Hope agenda to strengthen internal security and enhance the operational capacity of the nation’s security agencies.
