By Oso Abidemi
Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, on Thursday confirmed the withdrawal of 11,566 police officers previously assigned to Very Important Personalities (VIPs), across the country.
The move follows President Bola Tinubu’s directive ordering the immediate recall of all police personnel attached to VIPs, as part of efforts to strengthen national security amid rising killings, kidnappings and violent attacks.
Speaking at a meeting with senior police officers in Abuja, Egbetokun said the presidential order has given him full authority to enforce the withdrawal without resistance from affected individuals.
“No VIP will challenge the recall of their security aides because the instruction came directly from the President,” he said, noting that the directive allows the Police Force to redeploy personnel to frontline operational duties.
The IGP urged officers to remain professional and committed to safeguarding citizens, stressing the need for heightened vigilance and continuous operations to curb criminal activities nationwide.
The withdrawal is part of broader reforms aimed at boosting police capacity and restoring public confidence in the fight against insecurity.
