PRESIDENT TINUBU DIRECTS WITHDRAWAL OF POLICE ORDERLIES FROM VIPs FOR CORE DUTIES

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed that police officers currently assigned to guard Very Important Persons (VIPs) across the country be withdrawn and redeployed to focus on their primary policing responsibilities.

The directive was disclosed in a statement issued by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, and circulated to journalists in Abuja. According to the statement, the police authorities will henceforth reassign these officers to core police duties.

The presidential order followed a security meeting held on Sunday in Abuja, which had in attendance the heads of the police, Air Force, army, and the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS).

Under the new directive, VIPs requiring protection will now be expected to request armed security personnel from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

The statement highlighted that many parts of Nigeria—particularly remote communities—suffer from inadequate police presence, making it difficult to ensure the safety and protection of citizens.

Amid the nation’s present security challenges, President Tinubu is committed to increasing police visibility and strengthening security across all communities.

To support this goal, the President has already approved the recruitment of 30,000 new police officers. Additionally, the federal government is partnering with state governments to upgrade police training facilities nationwide.

Sunday’s security 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.