President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday reaffirmed his directive to withdraw police officers from VIPs and return them to essential policing duties. He made this statement just minutes before presiding over the Federal Executive Council meeting at the State House in Abuja.
“I honestly believe in what I said… It should be effected. If you have any problem because of the nature of your assignment, contact the IGP and get my clearance,” Tinubu remarked, expressing frustration over the slow pace of compliance with his earlier orders.
He specifically directed the Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, to collaborate with the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, and the National Security and Civil Defence Corps to ensure the immediate replacement of withdrawn escorts so that “you don’t leave people exposed.”
“The minister of interior should liaise with the IG and the Civil Defence structure to replace those police officers who are on special security duties. So that you don’t leave people exposed,” he insisted. He also tasked the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, and the Department of State Services to issue further guidance and ensure that the directive is implemented effectively. “NSA and DSS will provide further information and form themselves into a committee and review the structure,” he stated.
Framing the move as a response to a recent spike in abductions, the President highlighted the need to fully utilise all available forces on the ground. “We are facing challenges of kidnapping. We need all the forces we have on the ground, fully utilised,” he said. While acknowledging that some officials remain vulnerable, he noted that civil defence personnel should step in for VIP protection where necessary. “I know some of our people are exposed and I understand that we have to make exceptional provision for them. Civil defence is equally armed and I want to know from NSA to arm our forest guards too; take it very seriously,” he added.
Tinubu also disclosed plans to arm forest guards, stating, “I have directed the NSA to arm our forest guards, too. Take it seriously.”
Additionally, the President tasked Vice-President Kashim Shettima with using the National Economic Council to identify and rehabilitate grazing reserves into ranches, aiming to defuse farmer-herder conflicts and formalise the livestock economy. “Again, especially livestock reform, I think the Vice President should get the NEC to see which villages or grazing reserves can be salvaged or rehabilitated into ranches and livestock settlements,” he directed. “We must eliminate the possibility of conflicts and turn the livestock reform into economically viable development. The opportunity is there. Let’s utilise it.”
This latest charge comes nearly three weeks after an earlier presidential directive to withdraw police details from VIPs and redeploy them to communities and highways, thereby freeing up manpower for investigations, patrols, and school protection. The November 23 directive followed a security meeting at the State House, aimed at addressing a series of attacks that resulted in the kidnapping of at least 300 individuals, primarily schoolchildren, across Kebbi, Kwara, and Niger States.
“Henceforth, police authorities will deploy them to concentrate on their core police duties,” read a statement signed by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga. He further instructed that “VIPs who want police protection will now request well-armed personnel from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.”
Coincidentally, hours before the President’s address, Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, commented on the excessive security presence assigned to a young individual close to the Presidency, stating, “I was so astonished that I started looking for the national security adviser.” He noted the entourage was “sufficient to take over a small country,” revealing that the young man was Seyi Tinubu, the President’s son. In a now-viral video shared on Tuesday night, Soyinka expressed disbelief at the level of protection provided, questioning, “Do you mean that a child of the head of state goes around with an army for his protection or whatever?”
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