A retired Assistant Inspector General of Police, Abutu Yaro,, has urged the Federal Government to implement President Bola Tinubu’s directive on the withdrawal of police officers from VIP protection with extreme care, warning that a rushed execution could produce unintended security consequences.
Speaking on Wednesday on Politics Today on Channels Television, Yaro said that while the policy aimed to strengthen policing across the country, the government must avoid repeating historical lapses that left high-profile figures vulnerable to fatal attacks.
Yaro stressed that reforms involving security details for prominent individuals must be approached thoughtfully.
“We must emphasise strongly that this should be done with serious caution
“If the implementation is hasty, the fallout could be regrettable. We have historical experiences that remind us of what can go wrong, ” he said.
To reinforce his concerns, the retired police chief cited the cases of Chief Bola Ige, Funsho Williams, and General Mohammed Shuwa, all of whom were assassinated after finding themselves without adequate security protection.
President Tinubu had, during a high-level security meeting in Abuja on Sunday, ordered the withdrawal of police personnel assigned to VIPs.
The directive, which includes officers of the Special Protection Unit (SPU), requires them to return to their bases and focus primarily on community policing and crime prevention.
Under the revised arrangement, VIPs in need of armed escorts will now be required to request personnel from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) instead of the police.
The Presidency defended the policy, saying it would significantly increase police visibility in underserved and high-risk areas, where officers are often insufficient to counter rising security threats.
Yaro, however, disagreed with the decision to shift VIP security responsibilities to the NSCDC, arguing that the organisation’s mandate does not align with such duties.
“Civil defence, globally and in Nigeria, is designed to support civilians during emergencies, disasters, and national crises.
“They are not structured to act as an alternative to police protection for VIPs. It’s like asking a nurse to suddenly perform the role of a doctor,” he said.
Asked if he would have taken a different approach from the President, Yaro responded unequivocally:“I wouldn’t have ordered the police to leave the VIPs. VIPs form an important segment of our nationhood.”
Instead, he recommended increasing the number of police officers, expanding training programmes, and modernising the Mobile Police Force.
“Our mobile police units about 80 squadrons, should be upgraded to their original semi-military format, as conceived when they were introduced in 1962,” he added.
Meanwhile, President Tinubu on Wednesday declared a nationwide security emergency, citing the escalation of attacks across the country.
As part of the declaration, he authorised significant recruitment drives into both the Nigerian Armed Forces and the Police Force.
“The police will recruit an additional 20,000 personnel, bringing the total to 50,000,” the President said in a personally signed statement.
He also approved the use of NYSC orientation camps as makeshift training centres for the incoming recruits.
Officers formerly assigned to VIP protection duties are to undergo “crash training” before being deployed to volatile regions.
The government maintained that the combination of increased manpower and strategic redeployment would strengthen security responses nationwide. However, critics like Yaro continue to caution that the protection of high-profile individuals must not be weakened in the process.
