Fear has spread among Very Important Persons (VIPs) across the country following President Bola Tinubu’s directive for the withdrawal of police escorts assigned to private individuals.
Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga announced on Sunday that police personnel will now focus strictly on core policing duties. VIPs requiring close protection are expected to request armed operatives from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
Police sources told Vanguard that the announcement has triggered a wave of calls from affected VIPs seeking clarification, expressing anxiety over the nation’s deteriorating security climate. Many reportedly doubt the capacity of NSCDC personnel to provide the level of protection mobile police units previously offered.
One source quoted a VIP comparing civil defence operatives to “boy scouts,” insisting that MOPOL officers are more agile and equipped to respond to attacks. Another VIP argued that escort services for high-profile individuals have become entrenched in Nigeria’s security structure and warned that an outright withdrawal could heighten fears and insecurity.
He noted that while such protection is justified by the risks faced by influential figures, it often diverts scarce police resources from the public, worsening perceptions of inequality and weakening overall security.
A serving police officer, who asked not to be named, stressed that heavy deployment of officers to VIP protection has long undermined policing capacity in communities. He said patrol teams are routinely understaffed, response times have slowed, and officers are frequently reassigned from high-crime areas to escort convoys.
A senior police source at Force Headquarters added that entire units are sometimes dedicated to guarding a single governor or businessman for a whole day, leaving their primary jurisdictions exposed.
Human rights activist Tony Udemmadu said the practice threatens public confidence in law enforcement, describing it as a symbol of inequality. He argued that communities in violence-prone areas such as the Northeast and Niger Delta suffer most when officers are reassigned from public safety to private protection.
Force Public Relations Officer Benjamin Hundeyin did not respond to enquiries on the number of officers affected, timelines, or modalities for the withdrawal.
ADC: Police Escort Withdrawal Is Political Theatre
In a separate reaction, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) criticised President Tinubu’s directive, calling it “political theatre” that fails to confront Nigeria’s worsening security crisis.
ADC spokesperson Bolaji Abdullahi said the move is not new and has been repeated without implementation. He argued that despite claims that the withdrawal will free up 100,000 officers for frontline duties, Nigeria’s security problems go beyond manpower.
Abdullahi insisted that both the police and military are struggling against increasingly sophisticated insurgent tactics, and that poorly trained and ill-equipped officers cannot meaningfully strengthen counter-insurgency operations.
He accused the government of prioritising public relations over genuine security reforms, warning that Nigeria cannot afford policy gestures that fail to address terrorism, banditry, kidnappings and mass abductions.
