President Tinubu Orders Withdrawal of Police Officers Guarding VIPs

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the immediate withdrawal of police officers assigned as personal security to Very Important Persons (VIPs) across the country, ordering that they return to core policing duties in communities.

The directive was issued during a high-level security meeting held on Sunday in Abuja, attended by service chiefs and the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS).

This was contained in a statement issued by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, on November 23, 2025.

Under the new policy, VIPs requiring security protection will now obtain armed personnel from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) instead of the police.

According to the State House, the decision is aimed at boosting police presence nationwide, especially in rural and underserved communities, where police stations often struggle with manpower shortages.

The President noted that the country’s rising security challenges require a repositioning of the police to focus on crime prevention, rapid response, and community safety. To support this objective, President Tinubu has approved the recruitment of 30,000 additional police officers, with the Federal Government working with state governments to upgrade police training facilities across Nigeria.

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 DG of DSS, Tosin Adeola Ajayi.