Eshiorameh Sebastian in Abuja
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered the immediate withdrawal of all police officers from guarding Very Important Persons (VIPs) in a sweeping reform of Nigeria’s security architecture, following the successful rescue of dozens of kidnap victims in two separate incidents.
The policy shift, announced late on Sunday, came as the president confirmed that 38 worshippers abducted in Eruku, Kwara State, and 51 students from a Catholic school in Niger State had been recovered after days of coordinated security operations.
The decisions were ratified during an extended security meeting at the State House in Abuja, which convened the nation’s top security brass. In attendance were the Service Chiefs, the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Tosin Adeola Ajayi, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt General Waidi Shaibu, and the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke.
The emergency meeting was described as a critical effort to review the nation’s deteriorating security situation and implement decisive new measures amid allegations of complicity by the United States Government in recent weeks against the Federal Government of Nigeria.
In a statement released during and after the meeting, President Tinubu outlined his resolve.
“We are reviewing the latest reports and taking decisive actions to stabilise the affected areas and protect our citizens. I am receiving continuous briefings and have directed our security services to move with speed, precision, and absolute resolve,” the president said.
He underscored his personal commitment to the crisis, which had led him to cancel his scheduled trip to the G20 summit in South Africa to oversee the security efforts personally.
“As President, I am fully committed to the security of all Nigerians. Those who threaten the peace and security of our nation will face the full weight of the law. Nigeria will prevail,” he affirmed.
The tangible results of this renewed push began to emerge with the announcement of the two major rescues. The first involved 38 worshippers seized from the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) in Eruku, Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State.
The operation was hailed by Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, who credited the president’s direct involvement.
“The Governor says this is wholly due to the hands-on approach of President Bola Tinubu, GCFR, who has personally led the efforts to free the abductees,” a statement from the governor’s chief press secretary, Rafiu Ajakaye, confirmed.
The statement further noted that the president had directed “heightened security deployments to Kwara,” a move that underscored his “firm commitment to the safety and wellbeing of our people and Nigerians as a whole.”
Simultaneously, a separate and equally critical operation led to the recovery of 51 of the missing students from a Catholic school in Niger State. While details of the rescue missions remain scarce for operational security reasons, the simultaneous successes were portrayed by the administration as evidence of a more cohesive and aggressive security strategy. President Tinubu himself confirmed the developments, stating, “Thanks to the efforts of our security forces over the last few days, all the 38 worshippers abducted in Eruku, Kwara State have been rescued. I am equally happy that 51 out of the missing students of the Catholic School in Niger State, have been recovered.”
He added a firm promise to the nation: “I am closely monitoring the security situation nationwide and receiving continuous updates from the frontline. Let me be clear: I will not relent. Every Nigerian, in every state, has the right to safety — and under my watch, we will secure this nation and protect our people.”
It is against this backdrop of both crisis and operational success that the president’s most radical directive was issued. A statehouse press release from Special Adviser Bayo Onanuga declared that “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered the withdrawal of police officers currently providing security for Very Important Persons in the country.”
Henceforth, these officers will be “deployed them to concentrate on their core police duties.” The move is a direct response to one of the most chronic criticisms of the Nigerian police force: the disproportionate deployment of its limited personnel to protect political elites, business magnates, and other influential figures, often leaving police stations in remote and high-risk areas critically understaffed.
The presidential directive explicitly states that “VIPs who want police protection will now request well-armed personnel from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.”
This transfers the primary responsibility for private security away from the Nigeria Police Force, ostensibly allowing it to refocus on its fundamental mandate of civil policing and crime prevention.
The press release justified the decision by pointing out that “many parts of Nigeria, especially remote areas, have few policemen at the stations, thus making the task of protecting and defending the people difficult.” It concluded that “in view of the current security challenges facing the country, President Tinubu is desirous of boosting police presence in all communities.”
To further address the acute shortage of security personnel, the administration has also fast-tracked plans for significant recruitment. “Already, President Tinubu has approved the recruitment of 30,000 additional police officers.
The federal government is also collaborating with the states to upgrade police training facilities nationwide,” the release confirmed. This combination of personnel redistribution and mass recruitment represents the most significant attempt in years to overhaul the numerical and operational strength of the police force.
The series of announcements have been met with a mixture of optimism and caution. Security analysts see the withdrawal of police from VIP duties as a long-overdue reform that could, if implemented faithfully, inject thousands of trained officers into under-served communities and active conflict zones. However, they also warn that the move will likely face fierce resistance from the powerful political class accustomed to state-provided personal security. The success of the policy will hinge on the government’s ability to enforce it uniformly against all VIPs, without exception.
Furthermore, the capacity of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to seamlessly take over the demanding role of armed protection for the nation’s elite is untested on such a scale. Any failures in this transition could lead to a surge in private armed guards or pressure to reverse the policy.
Discussion about this post