A wave of anxiety has gripped several prominent personalities across the country following President Bola Tinubu’s directive ordering the withdrawal of police escorts from VIPs.
The Presidency announced on Sunday that police officers assigned as escorts would be recalled and redeployed to core policing duties. Henceforth, VIPs seeking official protection are to request armed personnel from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
Following the announcement, police headquarters has reportedly been flooded with calls from concerned VIPs seeking clarification. Many expressed fears over their safety, citing the country’s fragile security climate.
Sources within the police said VIPs are worried about the capacity of NSCDC personnel to provide the same level of protection previously offered by mobile police officers. One senior police source said a VIP compared the switch to “engaging boy scouts,” arguing that civil defence personnel lack the agility, training, and battlefield readiness of mobile police operatives.
Another concerned VIP warned that the blanket withdrawal could worsen public insecurity rather than improve it. He stressed that while VIP protection has long been part of Nigeria’s security structure, diverting personnel from public policing has contributed to widespread concerns about safety.
A serving police officer who spoke anonymously echoed similar worries, noting that assigning large numbers of police officers to escort duties has weakened community policing.
“In many communities, patrol units are understaffed and response times to distress calls are slow because so many officers are deployed to VIP protection,” he said. “We have cases where entire units spend a full day attached to a governor or businessman, leaving their zones vulnerable.”
Human rights advocates also argue that VIP escorts deepen public distrust in law enforcement, reinforcing perceptions that only the elite enjoy proper protection while ordinary citizens face rising insecurity.
When contacted for clarification on the number of personnel affected and the implementation schedule, Force Public Relations Officer Benjamin Hundeyin said he would respond later but had not done so as of press time.
ADC Criticises Escort Withdrawal, Calls It Political Theatre
Meanwhile, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has criticised the directive, describing it as a superficial measure that does little to tackle Nigeria’s worsening insecurity.
In a statement, the party’s spokesperson, Bolaji Abdullahi, said the move was “political theatre” aimed at optics rather than addressing real threats such as terrorism, banditry, and mass abductions.
The ADC noted that similar directives had been issued at least twice in 2025 without being implemented, accusing the government of repeating policies that yield no results.
Abdullahi also questioned the government’s claim that the withdrawal would return 100,000 officers to active policing, arguing that the real challenge lies in capability, not manpower.
“Even the military is struggling with the sophistication of insurgents,” he said. “Police officers, who are poorly equipped and insufficiently trained for counter-insurgency, cannot be expected to perform better.”
The party insisted that Nigeria requires a comprehensive, well-coordinated security overhaul rather than cosmetic decisions geared towards headlines.
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