President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the immediate withdrawal of police officers attached to Very Important Persons (VIPs) across the country.

The president’s decision, announced on Sunday, aims to redeploy the officers to their primary policing responsibilities nationwide.

Presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga disclosed the directive in a statement issued after a high-level security meeting in Abuja. According to him, the new policy will allow police authorities to focus on strengthening security in communities where police presence has been inadequate.

Under the directive, VIPs who require personal protection will now source well-armed security personnel from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC). This, the presidency said, will free up thousands of police officers currently attached to individuals rather than public security duties.

The statement noted that many remote areas across Nigeria currently suffer from insufficient police presence, worsening security challenges for residents. President Tinubu, it added, is determined to reverse the trend by boosting the availability of police officers nationwide.

Onanuga revealed that Tinubu has already approved the recruitment of 30,000 additional police personnel to further enhance the country’s internal security architecture. The federal government is also working with state governments to upgrade police training facilities across Nigeria.

Sunday’s security meeting, where the directive was issued, was attended by top service chiefs and heads of key security agencies. These included the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Waidi Shaibu, and the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke.

Also present were the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, who will oversee the implementation of the new deployment strategy, and the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Tosin Adeola Ajayi. Their agencies are expected to coordinate the transition process to ensure minimal disruption.