PRESIDENT TINUBU DIRECTS WITHDRAWAL OF POLICE FROM VIP SECURITY, PRIORITIZES CORE POLICING DUTIES |Omohglobalnews

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered that police officers currently assigned to protect Very Important Persons (VIPs) across the country be withdrawn and reassigned to core policing functions.

Under this new directive, police personnel earlier deployed as VIP escorts will now be redeployed to strengthen security operations nationwide. VIPs requiring armed security are henceforth expected to obtain such services from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

The President issued the directive during a high-level security meeting held on Sunday in Abuja with the leadership of the Police Force, the Armed Forces, and the Department of State Services (DSS).

This move follows concerns that many communities—particularly rural and remote areas—remain understaffed, limiting the ability of the police to adequately protect lives and property.

As part of President Tinubu’s broad security reforms, the Federal Government has approved the recruitment of 30,000 additional police personnel, while working with state governments to upgrade police training institutions across the country.

Those in attendance at Sunday’s meeting included the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Waidi Shaibu; the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke; the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun; and the Director-General of the DSS, Tosin Adeola Ajayi.

Bayo Onanuga
Special Adviser to the President
(Information and Strategy)
November 23, 2025