By Samuel Adeola
President Bola Tinubu has directed the withdrawal of police officers attached to Very Important Persons (VIPs) nationwide, ordering their redeployment to core policing duties.
The directive followed a security meeting in Abuja with service chiefs and the Director-General of the DSS.
In a statement, the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said VIPs who require escorts will now be assigned armed protection from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.
He noted that many remote communities suffer from low police presence, stressing the need to boost policing nationwide.
Onanuga added that the President has also approved the recruitment of 30,000 new police officers and plans to upgrade training facilities in partnership with state governments.
Top security chiefs at the meeting included the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Waidi Shaibu; Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke; Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun; and DSS Director-General, Tosin Adeola Ajayi.
The move follows public concerns over the high number of officers assigned to VIPs, leaving many communities under-policed.
