President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered the withdrawal of police officers currently providing security for Very Important Persons in the country over rising insecurity.
An European Union report this year had highlighted that over a hundred thousand police officers out of 370,000 policemen in the country were guarding politicians and VIPs.
A development that has contributed to many communities having no police presence in the face of worsening insecurity across the country.
In the light of the latest directive from the President, the affected personnel will be deployed, henceforth, by the police authorities to concentrate on their core police duties.
The presidential directive was issued at the security meeting President Tinubu held on Sunday with the police, Air Force, army chiefs and the Director-General of the Department of State Services, DSS, in Abuja.
According to the Presidential directive, VIPs who want police protection will now request well-armed personnel from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.
Many parts of Nigeria, especially remote areas, have few policemen at the stations, thus making the task of protecting and defending the people difficult.
In view of the current security challenges facing the country, President Tinubu is desirous of boosting police presence in all communities.
Already, President Tinubu has approved the recruitment of 30,000 additional police officers. The federal government is also collaborating with the states to upgrade police training facilities nationwide.
Sunday’s meeting was attended by the Chief of Army Staff, Lt General Waidi Shaibu; the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke; the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun; and the Director-General of the Department of State Services, Tosin Adeola Ajayi.