Withdrawal of policemen from VIPs

President Bola Tinubu has ordered the immediate withdrawal of all police officers attached to Very Important Persons (VIPs) across the country. According to the Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to the President, Bayo Onanuga, the measure is part of federal government’s plans to boost police presence in underserved communities and rural areas without adequate police facilities across the country. “Henceforth, police authorities will deploy them to concentrate on their core police duties. In view of the current security challenges facing the country, President Tinubu is desirous of boosting police presence in all communities,” Onanuga stated.

Available records show that not less than 100,000 policemen are attached to VIPs and politically exposed persons in the country. This figure represents a quarter of the nation’s police numerical strength. According to a 2025 report by the European Union Agency for Asylum, Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has about 371,800 officers policing about 236.7 million people. There is no doubt that the 100,000 policemen to be withdrawn from VIPs will boost policing in the country. The President also approved the recruitment of additional 30,000 men into the force to boost the numerical strength of Nigeria police. It is good that the President is also working with state governors to upgrade police training facilities nationwide.

In Nigeria, police escorts are attached to certain individuals for protection. Some private individuals pay a stipulated fee for police escorts. Unfortunately, police officers attached to some VIPs now run errands for their wives and perform domestic duties outside policing.

President Tinubu’s directive to withdraw policemen from VIPs came in the wake of rising security challenges across the country, especially the kidnapping of school children in Kebbi and Niger states, and the abduction of worshippers in Kwara State. Good enough, some of them have been released, including the 24 abducted schoolgirls from Kebbi State.

The President also directed that VIPs who need special security escorts should henceforth apply to the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) for such services. In the face of rising security challenges, the President’s directive to withdraw policemen from the VIPs is commendable. At a time like this, we need more police men in the field. The numerical strength of the nation’s police force is grossly inadequate to protect our teeming population and foreigners in our midst.

However, the recruitment of additional 30,000 police officers across the country must not be a one-off thing. For maximum impact, we suggest that such recruitment should be an annual event until we get the number of policemen required to police the country. It is public knowledge that most rural areas in the country lack adequate policing. Some don’t even have police presence. Adequate policing of the rural areas will go a long way in resolving the nation’s rising security challenges.

We believe that this is the time the President should consider the establishment of state police. The federal and state lawmakers should work in concert with other stakeholders to establish state police. The foot-dragging over the matter is needless. The current centralized policing system has not been effective in securing the entire nation.

Without having different layers of policing in the country, it will be difficult to overcome our current insecurity. The state governors should lead the campaign for the creation of state police. While the United Nations (UN) police-to-population ratio is 1: 450, Nigeria’s current police-to-population ratio is 1:600. This is inadequate and therefore unacceptable.

Beyond the recruitment of more police officers, the federal government must give the personnel of Nigeria police adequate training and remuneration.

For the police to give their best, they need better equipment and adequate accommodation. Although the federal government is planning to collaborate with state governments to provide more training facilities for police officers, the initiative should be adequately monitored and implemented.

At the same time, the federal government should make the police and other security agencies attractive to young Nigerians so that they would be willing to join them and serve their fatherland. Those serving Nigeria in the police and other security agencies should be well-catered for and their conditions of service improved. We should emulate the United Kingdom (UK) and United States (US) in this regard. We must respect those who serve the country in the police and other security agencies.

We urge the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, to ensure that the withdrawal of policemen from VIPs is fully implemented. We recall that such orders by the IGP in the recent past were not strictly enforced. All hands must be on deck to enhance the security of the country.