President Bola Tinubu has reaffirmed his directive ordering the withdrawal of thousands of police officers assigned to wealthy and politically connected Nigerians, insisting that the personnel are urgently needed in communities battling banditry, kidnapping, and terrorism.
Speaking during Wednesday’s Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting in Abuja, the President said the policy must be implemented “without hesitation.”
He stressed that the country could not afford to have a large segment of its police workforce shielding individuals while rural and conflict-prone areas lack basic security presence.
Tinubu instructed the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, to collaborate with the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and the leadership of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to ensure that all VIPs affected by the recall receive adequate replacement security from the civil defence corps.
According to him, the arrangement is meant to ensure that “no individual with legitimate security concerns is left unprotected,” even as the government reallocates police manpower to front-line communities.
The President also directed the National Security Adviser and the Department of State Services to jointly review the structure of VIP protection and provide advice on further reforms.
The renewed push comes two weeks after the President first ordered the withdrawal of police escorts during a high-level security meeting with service chiefs, the IGP, and the Director-General of the DSS.
Following that instruction, IGP Kayode Egbetokun announced that 11,566 officers previously attached to VIPs had already been recalled and reassigned to under-policed regions.
The IGP explained that the redeployment is aimed at restoring confidence and improving security in rural and vulnerable areas long plagued by criminals.
Senator Ali Ndume of Borno South argued that the order should apply to all arms of government, including the National Assembly.
He criticised some ministers and political appointees for retaining what he described as “excessive” police protection, alleging that several government officials have officers guarding their spouses and even children.
“I expected to see fewer officers in the National Assembly complex today, but the situation remains the same,” he said, describing the practice as “embarrassing and wasteful.”
His concern is echoed by Senator Abdul Ningi, who told colleagues during Wednesday’s plenary session that he had been stripped of his only police orderly, while personalities outside government, including celebrities, continued to enjoy full police protection.
The Senate subsequently mandated its Committee on Police Affairs to investigate alleged selective enforcement of the President’s directive.
Nobel laureate Professor Wole Soyinka also joined the conversation, expressing shock at the number of armed security personnel seen escorting Seyi Tinubu, the President’s son.
Speaking at an investigative journalism awards event in Lagos, Soyinka said the size of the convoy was comparable to a “military unit capable of occupying a small neighbouring city.”
Retired Assistant Inspector General of Police Abutu Yaro warned that abrupt withdrawal of VIP escorts could trigger “unexpected and regrettable consequences” if not managed carefully.
Similarly, former DSS Director Mike Ejiofor said shifting VIP protection duties to the NSCDC without extensive retraining would be risky.
He argued that the corps lacks the manpower, equipment, and specialised training required for the sensitive assignment.
Despite criticisms, President Tinubu insisted that the measure was necessary to strengthen national security.
He emphasised that Nigeria faces severe challenges from widespread kidnappings to terrorist attacks and must deploy all available resources where they are most needed.
“We need every officer we can get on the field.
”While we will make special provisions for those with genuine threats, we cannot continue diverting core security manpower to non-essential escort duties,” he told the council.
