In a sweeping enforcement action that signals a major shift in Nigeria’s security architecture, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) has ordered the immediate arrest of any police officer found escorting VIPs in violation of a new directive issued by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The development marks one of the most far-reaching attempts by the Federal Government to curb the misuse of police personnel and redirect manpower towards core policing duties across the country.
A confidential wireless message, dated November 30, 2025, and exclusively obtained by SaharaReporters, revealed the IGP’s orders to all state police commands, formations, and specialised units. The directive mandates strict compliance and warns that both offending officers and their supervising commanders will face disciplinary sanctions.
The signal was circulated to a broad spectrum of senior police leadership, including officers in the Department of Operations, Assistant Inspectors General of Police across all zones, Commissioners of Police in state commands, the Mobile Police Force, the VIP Protection Unit, the Counter Terrorism Unit, the Federal Operations Unit, and other strategic formations.
The memo stated:
“Following the presidential directive to withdraw, all states are to arrest any police officer found escorting any VIP in AOR yours. Disciplinary actions will also be activated against any erring supervising officer.”
The message underscored the seriousness of the new policy by classifying it as “very important” and explicitly noting that no further reminders would be issued, signalling that the Federal Government expects immediate enforcement.
A New Phase in Police Reform
The crackdown comes amid rising concerns about the chronic diversion of police personnel to private security duties for powerful individuals, business elites, politicians, and other VIPs. For years, a substantial portion of Nigeria’s already limited police manpower has been deployed to personal escort assignments—often leaving communities underserved and vulnerable.
Security analysts have long argued that the imbalance has contributed significantly to rising insecurity across the country, as officers capable of patrolling troubled regions are instead attached to private individuals who often lack any statutory entitlement to state security resources.
The IGP’s new directive seeks to reverse this chronic inefficiency by returning thousands of officers to public law enforcement duties, where they are urgently needed to support crime-fighting operations, patrol remote areas, and respond to the persistent rise in kidnapping, banditry, terrorism, and violent crime.
The Presidential Order Behind the Enforcement
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu first issued the instruction during a crucial security meeting held on Sunday, November 23, 2025, at the State House in Abuja. The meeting was attended by key security chiefs, including the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Waidi Shaibu; Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke; Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun; and the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Tosin Adeola Ajayi.
The president reportedly expressed deep concern at the disproportionate number of police personnel assigned to private individuals rather than engaging in active policing duties in communities across Nigeria. With rising insecurity and insufficient manpower in several regions, the president described the misuse of police escorts as untenable and counterproductive to national safety.
Under the new security framework announced at the meeting, VIPs requiring personal protection must now request assistance from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) rather than the Police. The shift is intended to free police officers for core operational assignments.
Key Enforcement Mechanisms
The IGP’s message assigned special enforcement responsibility to Commissioners of Police through their X-Squads and the Inspector General of Police Monitoring Unit (IGPMU). These units are mandated to carry out arrests, monitor compliance, and report violations.
Furthermore, the directive warns that any supervising officer who fails to ensure proper enforcement will face disciplinary measures. This provision signals the IGP’s intention to hold leadership accountable and prevent possible sabotage or leniency that has hindered past reforms.
A Response to Worsening Security Conditions
The government’s renewed emphasis on police redeployment comes at a time when Nigeria is grappling with severe security challenges. Kidnappings, armed robbery, communal attacks, terrorism, and banditry continue to plague states across the federation. Rural communities in particular have suffered from a lack of adequate police presence due to manpower shortages exacerbated by VIP escort assignments.
With the withdrawal of police escorts from non-essential duties, authorities expect a significant boost in manpower available for community policing, rapid response operations, intelligence gathering, and patrol duties. The move is also intended to restore public confidence in the police force, which has long faced criticism for being more responsive to private elites than to ordinary citizens.
Mixed Reactions from the Public
The announcement has drawn mixed responses from citizens, analysts, and political observers. Civil society organisations and security analysts have welcomed the directive as long overdue, arguing that no democratic society can afford to allocate scarce police resources to private individuals at the expense of public safety.
Many Nigerians have also praised the administration for taking a firm stance on an issue that previous governments failed to address decisively.
However, sceptics warn that the directive may face resistance from influential individuals accustomed to receiving police escorts, some of whom may attempt to circumvent the order through political pressure or informal arrangements. Others question whether the NSCDC is adequately equipped to take on the new responsibilities assigned to it, especially in high-risk situations.
Implementation Will Be the Real Test
While the directive is clear and forceful, implementation will ultimately determine its success. The history of police reforms in Nigeria is replete with bold announcements that fizzled during execution due to resistance from within the police hierarchy or interference from political elites.
To succeed, the enforcement must be consistent, transparent, and non-selective. Analysts insist that high-profile offenders must be arrested just as quickly as junior officers who violate the order, to avoid creating loopholes that weaken the policy.
A Turning Point for National Security?
If implemented faithfully, the redeployment of police officers from VIP escort duties represents a major reorientation of Nigeria’s policing priorities. It reflects a broader attempt by President Tinubu and the IGP to shift the focus of the police back to protecting communities, deterring crime, and strengthening internal security.
The coming weeks will reveal whether this bold directive becomes a transformative step in rebuilding Nigeria’s security system or simply another unfulfilled announcement.
For now, the Nigerian Police Force has made its position clear: police officers must return to the field—and those who refuse will face arrest.
