By Ismail Shuaib
ABUJA: President Bola Tinubu has ordered the immediate withdrawal of police officers attached to Very Important Persons (VIPs) across the country, directing that the personnel be redeployed to core policing duties in communities.
The directive, issued during a high-level security meeting held on Sunday with service chiefs and the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), was contained in a statement signed by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
Tinubu, who expressed concern over the dwindling police presence in many parts of the country – particularly in remote areas -said the overwhelming security challenges demanded a restructuring of manpower deployment.
He noted that many police stations were grossly understaffed, a situation that makes effective protection of lives and property difficult.
According to him, boosting frontline policing is now a top priority of his administration.
Under the new arrangement, VIPs who require armed escorts will now be expected to request well-trained personnel from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), freeing up police officers for essential law-enforcement work.
The President has also approved the recruitment of 30,000 additional police personnel and is working with state governments to upgrade training facilities nationwide as part of broader reforms to revitalise the force.
Sunday’s meeting was attended by the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General 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.
