The Nigeria Police Force has announced that any officer found escorting or providing protection for Very Important Persons (VIPs) will be arrested, following a directive from the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun.
Force Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, disclosed this during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today. He confirmed that all officers previously assigned to VIP protection have been fully withdrawn and enforcement is underway.
“The enforcement is on. The IGP gave the directive that any police officer found escorting VIPs be arrested because he is on illegal duty. Every one of them has been recalled,” Hundeyin said.
He added that the IGP instructed senior officers to monitor airports closely:
The Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of the Special Protection Unit was ordered to deploy personnel to the Abuja airport to arrest any officer caught escorting VIPs.
The Commissioner of Police in Lagos State received the same directive for Lagos airport.
Hundeyin clarified that some government officials remain legally entitled to police protection, including governors and judges, pending further instructions from the presidency.
The decision follows President Bola Tinubu’s directive withdrawing police escorts from VIPs to redeploy officers to core policing duties amid rising insecurity. VIPs now requiring armed protection must obtain personnel from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
Presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga said the policy aims to strengthen policing nationwide, particularly in underserved rural areas. The move comes as the President declared a nationwide security emergency in response to increasing kidnappings and terrorist attacks.
As part of the security overhaul, the federal government has approved expanded recruitment for both the police and military, with 20,000 new police officers expected to boost the force to 50,000 personnel.
