The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, on Thursday said 11,566 personnel attached to Very Important Persons (VIPs) had been recalled following a presidential directive.
The IGP made this statement in Abuja at a conference with strategic police managers, comprising officers from the rank of Commissioners and above.
President Bola Tinubu had on Sunday ordered the police to withdraw its officers guarding VIPs for core police duties
Mr Egbetokun said the recalled officers would be deployed to active police entities immediately.
He said the presidential order was to ensure that more officers were repositioned from personalised security duties to collective public protection responsibilities where their presence and operational impact were urgently required.
“However, while we move decisively to implement this directive, we must also act responsibly to manage its execution.
“We are mindful of the risk of misinterpretation, misinformation and exploitation by undesirable elements who may seek to capitalise on the situation for personal or political advantage.
“To guard against this, the force will release detailed implementation modalities in due course, outlining clear processes, timelines, safeguards and accountability measures,” he added.
The IGP said the modalities would be communicated internally first, and subsequently to the public through the appropriate professional channels in a structured and controlled manner.
Mr Egbetokun said the approach was necessary to prevent opportunistic actors from weaponising ambiguity, spreading disinformation, or impersonating authority in ways that could distort or compromise the intent of the initiative.
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”We are committed to ensuring that this process fences policing, preserves institutional integrity, and eliminates any window for actors who operate outside legitimate security frameworks, ” he said.
The IGP cautioned senior police officers against rivalry, saying that this helps crime while security synergy breaks it.
According to him, CPs must operationalise real partnerships, not ceremonial alliances.
He urged commissioners of police to adopt joint tactical patrols, share intelligence briefings, and conduct operations backed by military cover when required.
The IGP further called for interagency operations in high-threat states, joint smart-based operational planning and unified response architectures.
“You must link monthly intelligence roundtables between state security authorities and establish joint tactical operations plans after every major attack,” he said.
Mr Egbetokun further called for joint-route domination patrols with the Nigerian armed forces and integration of strategic information exchange with other security agencies.
He also canvassed expansion of lawful border-cracking strategies, especially in frontier states like Kebbi, Niger, Sokoto and neighbouring security theatres.
(NAN)
