President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the withdrawal of police officers attached to Very Important Persons (VIPs) across the country, ordering that they be redeployed to core policing duties to strengthen national security.
The directive was announced in a statement on Sunday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, following a high-level security meeting held at the State House, Abuja.
According to Onanuga, the meeting, which included the heads of the Nigerian Army, Air Force, Nigeria Police Force, and the Department of State Services (DSS), reviewed nationwide security challenges and the overstretching of police personnel, particularly in remote communities.
He explained that under the new arrangement, VIPs requiring protection will henceforth obtain well-armed security personnel from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), allowing the police to focus fully on community policing and public safety.
Onanuga added that President Tinubu has approved the recruitment of 30,000 additional police officers, a move aimed at boosting manpower and improving response capacity across the federation.
He also disclosed that the federal government, in collaboration with state governments, is upgrading police training facilities nationwide to meet modern policing standards.
Those in attendance at the security meeting included 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.
The new directive comes amid rising insecurity in various parts of the country, with many rural and underserved areas reporting inadequate police presence.
The presidency says the move marks a significant step in refocusing the police on their statutory responsibilities and ensuring improved security for citizens.
