Tinubu Orders Withdrawal of VIP Police Escorts, Approves 30,000 New Recruits

President Bola Tinubu has directed the immediate withdrawal of police officers attached to VIPs nationwide, ordering their redeployment to core policing duties as part of a broader push to strengthen community-level security.

The directive followed a security meeting held on Sunday in Abuja with top military and intelligence chiefs, including the heads of the police, army, air force and the Department of State Services. According to presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga, VIPs who still require protection will now obtain armed escorts from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps instead of the police.

A shift toward community policing

The move is expected to free up thousands of officers for frontline deployment, especially in rural and semi-urban communities where police presence has declined in recent years. President Tinubu reportedly expressed concern that many remote areas operate with skeletal policing despite rising incidents of banditry, kidnapping and communal clashes.

To reinforce the transition, the President approved the recruitment of 30,000 new police personnel, one of the largest expansions of the Nigeria Police Force in recent years. The fresh intake will be supported by an upgrade of training facilities across the country, with both federal and state governments working to modernise police academies and improve the quality of new officers.

Sunday’s briefing was attended by the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Waidi Shaibu; the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke; Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun; and the Director-General of the DSS, Tosin Adeola Ajayi.

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The directive comes days after President Tinubu postponed his planned trips to major international summits in South Africa and Angola, citing security breaches in Kebbi and Kwara States. He subsequently ordered additional deployments to affected communities and instructed security agencies to track those behind the recent abductions and attacks.

The Presidency said the new measures reflect a renewed emphasis on restoring visibility, manpower and public confidence in the police at a time when insecurity continues to escalate across several regions.