President Bola Tinubu has ordered the immediate withdrawal of police officers attached to VIPs across the country.
The directive was issued on Sunday during a security meeting at the State House attended by the inspector-general of police, the chiefs of army and air staff, and the director-general of the Department of State Services (DSS).
In a statement, Bayo Onanuga, the president’s special adviser on information and strategy, said all police personnel currently deployed as VIP escorts will be reassigned to core policing duties in communities.
Under the new arrangement, VIPs seeking armed protection will now be required to request security from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), not the police.
The presidency said the move is intended to increase police presence in communities, particularly in remote areas where stations are understaffed and residents more vulnerable to attacks.
“Many parts of Nigeria, especially remote areas, have few policemen at the stations, thus making the task of protecting and defending the people difficult,” the statement said, adding that Tinubu wants police officers “to concentrate on their core police duties”.
Tinubu has also approved the recruitment of 30,000 new police officers nationwide and plans to upgrade training facilities in partnership with state governments.
Those present at the meeting included Waidi Shaibu, chief of army staff; Sunday Kelvin Aneke, chief of air staff; Kayode Egbetokun, inspector-general of police; and Tosin Adeola Ajayi, director-general of the DSS.
According to the presidency, the directive is part of a wider security strategy aimed at strengthening law enforcement capacity and improving public safety across Nigeria.