President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered the withdrawal of police officers currently providing security for Very Important Persons in the country.
Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, made this known in a statement on Sunday.
Henceforth, police authorities will deploy them to concentrate on their core police duties, he said.
Onanuga explained that 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.
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Many parts of Nigeria, especially remote areas, have few policemen at the stations, thus making the task of protecting and defending the people difficult.
Onanuga said in view of the current security challenges facing the country, President Tinubu was desirous of boosting police presence in all communities.
Already, he said, President Tinubu had approved the recruitment of 30,000 additional police officers.
He said the federal government was also collaborating with the states to upgrade police training facilities nationwide.
Sunday’s meeting was said to have been 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.
