Tinubu Orders Mass Withdrawal of Police VIP Escorts to Tackle Rising Terror Siege

The Federal Government has commenced the large-scale withdrawal of police personnel attached to VIPs nationwide, following President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s directive aimed at boosting security manpower in vulnerable communities.

The enforcement began on Monday after the Special Protection Unit (SPU) issued internal instructions directing all officers deployed on VIP escort duties and beat assignments to immediately return to their bases.

A memo signed by Neji Veronica, Commanding Officer of SPU Base 16, Lagos, ordered all personnel to report back before the close of work on November 24, warning that attendance at a compulsory Lecture Parade would be taken from the nominal roll.

“Sequel to the directive of Mr President and Commander-in-Chief on the withdrawal of police personnel attached to VIPs, the Commanding Officer directs with immediate effect that all personnel attached to VIPs and beats across the federation return to base,” the memo stated.

Presidency officials explained that the decision is part of a broader effort to redirect police manpower to underserved and high-risk communities suffering acute personnel shortages. Several remote regions currently operate with skeletal police presence, making it difficult to deter or repel coordinated attacks.

Under the new security framework, VIP protection duties will now be handled by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC). Individuals requiring armed escorts will henceforth channel requests through the corps.

To reinforce national security capacity, the President has also approved the recruitment of 30,000 additional police officers. Federal and state authorities are collaborating to expand and upgrade police training facilities to handle the influx.

The directive followed a string of deadly, coordinated terrorist attacks across Kebbi, Kwara and Niger states in the week ending November 22, where armed groups launched simultaneous raids on remote settlements, overwhelming local defences.

The Federal Government says the redeployment of officers from VIP duties marks a decisive shift toward strengthening community-level policing and restoring public confidence amid rising security threats.