President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has instructed that all police officers currently assigned to guard Very Important Persons (VIPs) be withdrawn and redirected to their core policing roles. The directive, issued after a high-level security meeting in Abuja with service chiefs and security leaders, aims to boost police presence and effectiveness on the frontlines.
According to Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, under the new arrangement, VIPs who still require protection will no longer rely on the police but will instead request armed personnel from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
The move comes in response to significant security challenges across the country. Tinubu underscored that many rural and underserved communities are currently plagued by a shortage of police officers — a gap he seeks to address by redirecting manpower to more vulnerable areas.
To reinforce his plan, the President has approved the recruitment of an additional 30,000 police officers. He also directed that police training facilities nationwide be upgraded, in collaboration with state governments, to ensure the new officers are well-prepared.
