President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered the immediate withdrawal of police officers assigned to guard Very Important Persons (VIPs), directing that they be redeployed to strengthen core policing duties across the country.
The directive was issued during a high-level security meeting held Sunday in Abuja with service chiefs and the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS).
Under the new policy, VIPs seeking personal security will no longer be protected by the Nigeria Police Force but will instead be required to request armed personnel from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
The move comes amid concerns over inadequate police presence, particularly in remote areas where understaffed stations have struggled to respond effectively to rising security challenges.
According to the Presidency, the policy shift is part of a broader effort to bolster national security by increasing the number of officers available for community policing.
President Tinubu has already approved the recruitment of 30,000 additional police personnel, and the federal government is partnering with state governments to upgrade police training facilities nationwide.
Service chiefs 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 DSS Director-General Tosin Adeola Ajayi.
The announcement, as noticed by the WorldClass247News, was conveyed in a statement by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy.