President Bola Tinubu has ordered the withdrawal of police officers attached to Very Important Persons (VIPs), as part of the ongoing efforts to restructure the country’s security architecture amid bandit attacks across northern states.
Tinubu mandated that the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, redeploy the policemen withdrawn to stations and other formations with core policing duties.
The directive was issued on Sunday during a security meeting the president held in Abuja with service chiefs and the director-general of the Department of State Services over the attacks in Kebbi, Niger and Kwara states.
According to a statement released by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, VIPs requiring protection will now be assigned armed operatives from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps instead of the police.
“Many parts of Nigeria, especially remote areas, have few policemen at the stations, thus making the task of protecting and defending the people difficult.
“In view of the current security challenges facing the country, President Tinubu is desirous of boosting police presence in all communities,” the statement read.
Onanuga also disclosed that the President has approved the recruitment of 30,000 additional police personnel and that the Federal Government is working with states to upgrade police training facilities nationwide.
Those in attendance at Sunday’s 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 withdrawal of police escorts from VIPs comes amid long-standing concerns over the overstretching of Nigeria’s police force.
Several reports have highlighted that more than 100,000 police officers are assigned to politicians, businessmen, and other VIPs.
