Inspector General of Police Kayode Egbetokun has ended the VIP Protection Scheme and plans to release guidelines for redeploying the 11,566 officers withdrawn from the program across Nigeria.
This move follows President Bola Tinubu’s new security directive aimed at strengthening policing in vulnerable communities.
On Thursday, during a strategic meeting with senior officers in Abuja, the police chief revealed that the ongoing withdrawal and redeployment of personnel is part of a major operational shake-up aimed at reallocating security resources from elite protection to public safety.
Egbetokun highlighted that the presidential order marks a strategic shift in policing priorities, driven by Nigeria’s current security needs. He explained that the move is based on necessity rather than sentiment, reinforcing the core mission of the Nigeria Police Force: to protect citizens, defend communities, and maintain public order. He added that the redeployment of personnel will boost frontline operations, particularly in underserved and high-risk areas.
He said the new deployment approach will help the Force boost protection in major population centres, improve security in rural and township areas, increase police visibility and patrols, strengthen investigative response, and enhance tactical measures to contain emerging violent threats.
“Simply put, this policy ensures that more officers are repositioned from personalised security duties to collective public protection responsibilities,” he added.
He acknowledged worries that the withdrawal might be misunderstood or taken advantage of, and promised the Force would carry out the directive carefully and openly. He cautioned about the dangers of misinformation and political meddling, noting that “undesirable elements” could try to spread false stories or pose as police officers.
Egbetokun said the Force will soon release a detailed guide outlining the implementation process, timelines, accountability measures, and safeguards to help prevent this.
“These modalities will be communicated internally first, and then to the public through appropriate channels,” he stated. “This phased approach is necessary to prevent opportunistic actors from weaponising ambiguity or spreading disinformation.”
The IGP added that preserving institutional integrity during the transition is a top priority.
President Tinubu had on Wednesday declared a national security emergency following repeated attacks, mass abductions, and raids carried out by terrorists and armed gangs in several states. As part of the emergency measures, the President ordered additional recruitment into the Armed Forces and the Nigeria Police, immediate withdrawal of officers from VIP duties, crash training” for redeployed officers before deployment to conflict-prone areas, and the use of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) camps as training facilities for new recruits
Tinubu said the measures were necessary to rapidly boost manpower in areas facing escalating violence
Credit:InsideBusiness
