By Abdulraheem Olanrewaju
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the immediate withdrawal of police personnel attached to Very Important Persons (VIPs) across the country, ordering their redeployment to regular policing duties to strengthen security nationwide.
This is contained in a statement issued by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, on Sunday.
According to the statement, the directive was issued at a high-level security meeting held on Sunday in Abuja, attended by 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 the Director-General of the Department of State Services, Tosin Adeola Ajayi.
Under the new policy, VIPs who require security escort or protection will now be advised to request well-armed officers from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), rather than the Nigeria Police Force.
The statement explained that President Tinubu is concerned about the limited police presence in many rural and remote communities, leaving residents vulnerable and slowing response to security threats.
The President added that returning officers to mainstream policing will significantly boost manpower in police stations and operations units nationwide.
As part of broader reforms to enhance security, President Tinubu has also approved the recruitment of 30,000 additional police officers, while the Federal Government works with state governments to upgrade training facilities and capacity-building infrastructure for law enforcement.
