Abuja: President Bola Tinubu has ordered the withdrawal of Police personnel attached to ‘Very Important Persons’ (VIPs) nationwide, directing that the officers be redeployed to strengthen core policing duties across communities. This decision is aimed at addressing the inadequate police presence in many remote communities, which the president believes is undermining effective protection and response efforts.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, this directive followed a security meeting held on Sunday in Abuja with service chiefs, the Inspector-General of Police, and the Director-General of the Department of State Services. Presidential Spokesperson, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, issued a statement indicating that VIPs requiring protection should henceforth obtain armed security personnel from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.
The President emphasized the necessity of boosting police deployments nationwide due to the current security challenges confronting the country. As part of these efforts, Tinubu has approved the recruitment of 30,000 additional police personnel. Furthermore, the Federal Government is collaborating with the states to upgrade police training facilities to better equip officers for their duties.
The security meeting convened by the President included key figures such as 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 DSS, Tosin Ajayi.