The Nigeria Police Force has declared that any officer still offering escort or protection services to Very Important Persons (VIPs) is violating a direct order from the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) and will be arrested.
Force Public Relations Officer Benjamin Hundeyin issued the warning during an appearance on Channels Politics Today on Tuesday.
He stated that the Police High Command has fully activated an enforcement campaign to end the long-standing practice of assigning officers to private individuals.
According to him, all personnel previously attached to VIP detail have already been recalled.
“Any officer you see escorting a VIP today is on illegal duty,” he said, adding that the IGP, Kayode Egbetokun, has instructed senior commanders across the country to clamp down on defaulters.
Hundeyin revealed that the IGP specifically instructed the Assistant Inspector-General heading the Special Protection Unit (SPU) to deploy teams to the Abuja airport to arrest officers violating the directive.
A similar mandate was issued to the Lagos State Commissioner of Police.
“That is how seriously we are taking this matter,” he emphasised.
The spokesman also dismissed claims that VIP protection can still be negotiated through influence or financial inducement, stressing that President Bola Tinubu’s directive is “absolute” and leaves no room for compromise.
President Tinubu ordered the immediate removal of police escorts from VIPs on November 24 during a high-level meeting with security chiefs.
Under the new policy, individuals requiring official protection must now seek assistance from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
Presidential aide Bayo Onanuga explained that the reshuffle aims to redirect police manpower toward tackling rising violence across the country, particularly in remote communities where security presence remains thin.
Against the backdrop of escalating criminal attacks, the President also declared a nationwide security emergency.
As part of the emergency measures, the government has approved the recruitment of an additional 20,000 police personnel, bringing the total number of new intakes to 50,000.
Tinubu stated that both the new recruits and the officers returning from VIP duties will undergo accelerated training at modernised police colleges and selected NYSC camps before being deployed to high-risk locations.
