By Philomina Brando
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered the immediate withdrawal of police officers attached to Very Important Persons (VIPs) across the country, directing that they be redeployed to strengthen core policing operations nationwide.
The directive was issued during a high-level security meeting held on Sunday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, with service chiefs and heads of key security agencies in attendance.
Under the new policy, VIPs seeking personal security will now be required to obtain armed protection from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) instead of the Nigeria Police Force. The move is aimed at freeing up thousands of police personnel currently assigned to individuals rather than public safety.
Nigeria has long faced a shortage of police presence—especially in rural and underserved communities—where many stations operate with only a handful of officers despite rising insecurity. The president’s latest directive forms part of a broader effort to boost police manpower and restore public confidence in law enforcement.
To further strengthen national security, President Tinubu has also approved the recruitment of 30,000 additional police officers and initiated collaboration with state governments to upgrade training facilities across the federation.
Security chiefs present 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 Department of State Services (DSS), Tosin Ajayi.
According to a senior presidency official, the redeployment of police personnel is expected to begin with immediate effect, with strict supervision to prevent abuse or circumvention.
The administration believes that returning more officers to mainstream policing will improve patrols, accelerate response time to distress calls, and enhance the overall capacity of the police to confront growing security threats across the country.