To support the redeployment, President Tinubu has also approved the recruitment of 30,000 additional police personnel.
..reassigns them to core policing duties
By Deborah Hassan
365Daily – President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered the immediate withdrawal of police officers attached to Very Important Persons (VIPs) across the country, directing that they be redeployed to core policing functions to strengthen security nationwide.
This was disclosed in a statement signed by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, on Sunday, November 23, 2025.
Onanuga said the directive was issued during a high-level security meeting the President held with service chiefs and the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS) at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
According to the Presidency, the decision is part of a broader effort to boost police presence in communities and address the shortage of personnel in many parts of the country—particularly remote areas where police stations suffer severe manpower gaps.
“President Tinubu has ordered the withdrawal of police officers currently providing security for VIPs in the country. Henceforth, the police authorities will deploy them to concentrate on their core police duties,” the statement said.
Under the new directive, VIPs requiring security protection will now be required to seek “well-armed personnel” from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), not the police.
The Presidency noted that the shift is essential given Nigeria’s present security challenges and the need to ensure that trained police officers are available for public safety duties rather than private protection.
To support the redeployment, President Tinubu has also approved the recruitment of 30,000 additional police personnel, while the Federal Government is collaborating with state governments to upgrade police training facilities nationwide.
The 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.