Insecurity: Tinubu orders withdrawal of police officers from VIPs – but policy isn’t new

PRESIDENT Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered the withdrawal of police officers currently guarding Very Important Persons (VIPs) across the country, but such proclamation has been made before without results.

President Tinubu gave the order at the security meeting held on Sunday with the police, air force, army chiefs and the Director-General of the State Security Service (SSS) in Abuja.

A statement signed by Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga, said VIPs who needed police protection would 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,” Mr Onanuga noted.

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He said President Tinubu recently approved the recruitment of 30,000 additional police officers, and the Nigerian government was already collaborating with the states to upgrade police training facilities nationwide.

Not a new policy: From 2003 to 2025

Mr Tinubu’s pronouncement is not new in Nigeria. Between 2003 and 2025, the Nigerian government has given a similar directive 10 times. In September 2003, the police under late Mr Tafa Balogun ordered the withdrawal of police orderlies from judges and politicians. On October 3 of the same year, the policy was partially reversed, with the return of police orderlies to judges in the country.

In August 2009, police chief Ogbonnaya Onovo ordered all police personnel attached as private orderlies to private individuals to return to their bases. He listed the category of persons that were entitled to personal police orderlies, noting that “all persons not listed above are hereby given seven days to release the Police personnel attached to them, and to make alternative arrangements.” The directive, however, collapsed like a pack of cards in less than 3 months.

In October 2010, Hafiz Ringim, who succeeded Onovo as the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), ordered police officers attached to VIPs to be withdrawn, noting that officers who refused to return to their bases would be arrested, delisted and prosecuted. The order, however, was not obeyed.

Police image maker at that time, Mr Emmanuel Ojukwu, disclosed that Ringim had formed a special monitoring unit to ensure compliance to his directives. The directive, however, collapsed like a pack of cards a few months later.

On February 14, 2012, Acting Inspector General of Police, Mr Mohammed Abubakar, ordered  the cancellation of all approved police guards for private individuals and corporate bodies. The police chief noted that he was committed to building a strong and vibrant police force to give the country “the best policing service.”

“All intra-state and highway road blocks which constitute nuisance especially on the roads of Lagos, Edo and South-Eastern States should be dismantled immediately,” he said, while addressing assistant commissioners of police in charge of operations and criminal investigation departments of zonal and state commands in Abuja. However, like those before it, the policy collapsed within 2 months.

Similarly. in 201, a new IGP, Mr Solomon Arase, ordered the deployment of police orderlies from politicians and other VIPs, stating that the move was meant to improve efficiency and coverage of policing in public areas. Nevertheless, it collapsed like a pack of cards.

On March 19, 2018, IGP, Mr Ibrahim Idris, ordered the immediate withdrawal of all police officers attached to political office holders, VIPs and prominent individuals in the country.

“A task force has been constituted at the Force headquarters under the Command of ACP Mohammed Adamu Dan Kwara to ensure compliance to this directive while the Command CPs are to replicate same at their various commands,” Mr Idris said.

Continuing the IGP added, “However, business entreprenuers, multi-national organizations, corporate individuals and entities that require such services and are found to be worthy will be considered from the Special Protection Unit of the Nigerian Police Force on application for re-validation through states commissioners of police where they are resident or domiciled,” he noted.

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“The Commissioners of Police are to profile and recommend, if such applicants merit the services for approval. By so doing, I am charging the Commissioners of Police with the responsibility of supervising such official deployment and thereby holding them accountable.” However, like others before it, the policy failed in less than 3 months.

On October 21, 2020 – during #EndSARS protest – IGP Mohammed Adamu ordered the withdrawal of all police officers attached to VIPs across the country with immediate effect.

The IGP exempted those attached to government houses, the Senate President and the Speaker House of Representatives from the order.

This happened 10 days after he had disbanded the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), following protests against the squad for high handedness and extra-judicial killings.

Furthermore, on June 27, 2025, the then Acting IGP Olukayode Egbetokun said personnel of the Police Mobile Force (PMF) would no longer carry out VIPs escort and guard duties. However, this has been observed more in the breach since then.

Analysts say policy won’t work

Security experts have expressed doubts about the workability of the proclamation, noting that “we have seen this before.”

A social security expert, Dr Ben Agbese, said the policy wouldn’t work as politicians and VIPs would make it ineffective. “Most of the people with police orderlies and guards are politicians, some of who belong to President Tinubu’s political party. How will this policy work? Secondly, there is trepidation over the level of insecurity in Nigeria today. So, many politicians and VIPs will pay any amount of money to the police to have their orderlies back.”

An Abuja-based security analyst, who pleaded anonymity for safety reasons, said the pronouncement could open a new industry for senior police officers who would turn it into money-making enterprise

“The policy can’t work,” he said. “Police DPOs and commissioners could turn that into business or an enterprise. VIPs would want to have police guards, which is now prohibited, The rich guys will be ready to pay anything to have their orderlies back – and they will have what they want after paying someone in the police for it. President Tinubu won’t be the one to implement it. It will still be left in the hands of senior police officers – which is where the problem will arise from.”