VIPs on Edge as Police Begin Plans to Withdraw Escorts Following Presidential Directive

Anxiety has spread among the country’s very important persons (VIPs) after President Bola Tinubu ordered the withdrawal of police escorts assigned to them.

In a statement on Sunday, Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga announced that police personnel currently attached to VIPs would be redeployed to core policing duties. He added that VIPs requiring security going forward would now have to request armed protection from the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

Following the directive, police sources told Vanguard that VIPs have been inundating police headquarters with calls seeking clarification, expressing deep concern given the prevailing security challenges nationwide.

According to the sources, most of the VIPs questioned the capacity of NSCDC personnel to provide the level of protection they are accustomed to. One VIP was quoted as saying that relying on NSCDC officers would be “like engaging boy scouts,” insisting that mobile police operatives are more agile and better prepared to confront dangerous situations.

Another VIP noted: “Providing police escorts to high-ranking officials has long been a feature of Nigeria’s security structure. But as the nation faces rising insecurity, the broader implications of diverting police resources for VIP protection cannot be ignored.”
He argued for a rationalised approach rather than a blanket withdrawal, warning that a total halt could heighten public fears.
“While intended to safeguard influential individuals, VIP protection often comes at a high cost to the public—both in diverted security resources and in the perception that the system prioritises a few over the many,” he said.

A serving police officer who spoke anonymously also questioned whether assigning officers to VIPs undermines the police’s ability to respond to crime in communities.
“In a country facing insurgency, armed robbery, kidnappings, and communal violence, dedicating officers to individuals who can afford private security is troubling,” he said.

He added that the demand for VIP escorts strains police resources.
“Some patrol units are understaffed, and response times to distress calls worsen because so many officers are assigned to VIP duties,” he explained. “In some cases, officers are pulled from high-crime areas to escort convoys, leaving vulnerable communities exposed.”

A source at Force Headquarters in Abuja confirmed the logistical burden:
“We have cases where an entire unit is deployed for a full day to protect a governor or businessman, leaving their designated zones with fewer officers. It seriously affects overall policing.”

Human rights activist Tony Udemmadu also criticised the practice, arguing that it erodes public trust.
“The public increasingly sees VIP escorts as a symbol of inequality,” he said. “While the elite enjoy protection, ordinary Nigerians often face insecurity with limited police support. In regions already battling violent crime, the absence of police due to escort duties worsens citizens’ vulnerability.”

When contacted for details on how many officers are affected and when the withdrawal will take effect, Force Public Relations Officer Benjamin Hundeyin said he would revert, but no response had been received as of press time.

ADC: Withdrawal Directive Is Political Drama, Not Strategy

Meanwhile, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has criticised President Tinubu’s directive, calling it political theatrics that do little to address Nigeria’s escalating security crisis.

In a statement by the party’s spokesman, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC accused the administration of prioritising optics over substance.
“While the directive makes for good headlines, it is not new and shows the government’s lack of understanding of the true nature and complexity of Nigeria’s worsening security crisis,” Abdullahi said. “A nation battling terrorism, banditry, mass abductions, and violent crime cannot afford to confuse public relations for policy.”

The ADC noted that similar orders were issued twice in 2025 by the Inspector-General of Police—reportedly on presidential instructions—without any meaningful impact.
“But nothing happened,” Abdullahi stated.

He further argued that even if the latest order is implemented, it misses the core issue: police officers, as currently trained and equipped, are not prepared for the scale of Nigeria’s security emergencies.
“Even if the President succeeds in freeing police officers from VIP duties, the fact remains that they are ill-equipped, ill-trained, and ill-motivated for the complex task of counter-insurgency,” he said.

On the government’s claim that the withdrawal would free up 100,000 officers for frontline duties, Abdullahi disagreed, saying capacity—not numbers—is the real challenge.
“Even the military struggles with the sophistication and adaptability of insurgents,” he noted. “How much more the police?”

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