— Say we can’t be used as scapegoats
Senators have voiced strong displeasure over what they deem the selective implementation of President Bola Tinubu’s directive to withdraw police orderlies from Very Important Personalities (VIPs), cautioning that members of the National Assembly should not be used as scapegoats.
Concerns were raised on the floor of the Senate following a motion brought under a point of order by Senator Abdul Ningi (PDP, Bauchi Central), who revealed that his only police orderly was withdrawn in the early hours of Wednesday, while other categories of VIPs continue to enjoy police protection.
The directive, issued by President Tinubu and enforced by the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, ordered the withdrawal of approximately 11,000 police personnel attached to VIPs nationwide as part of efforts to tackle insecurity, redeploy officers to core policing duties, and address manpower shortages at the community level.
Senator Ningi criticized the uneven enforcement of the order, insisting that the policy should be applied uniformly in the spirit of fairness and equity. “It should be done across the board. Let’s see what happens from the office of the President, to the Vice President, to the Senate President, to the Speaker, to Ministers. After they withdrew my only orderly, I still see convoys of ministers with heavy security. I have seen business concerns, including Chinese companies, with orderlies. I have seen daughters and sons of political office holders, and even singers, with police protection,” Ningi stated.
He stressed that while he could manage without the protection, it was unjust for senators to be singled out, calling on the Senate President to mandate the Committee on Police Affairs to investigate the apparent selective enforcement of the directive. “The National Assembly should not be used as a scapegoat,” he added.
In response, the Deputy President of the Senate, Barau Jibrin (APC, Kano North), who presided over the session, noted that the Senate leadership had already deliberated extensively on the matter and was engaging the Presidency to seek an exemption for lawmakers. He assured affected senators that efforts were ongoing to restore their police orderlies, emphasising that such protection aligns with international practice. “We have taken this issue seriously. At the leadership level, we agreed that the necessary steps should be taken to restore your police orderly. I am sure we have a listening President who will save us from that order which was given in good faith,” Jibrin said.
The Senate’s intervention comes amid a growing national debate over the balance between VIP protection and the need to strengthen police presence in communities across the country.
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