The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, has defended the President’s directive ordering the withdrawal of police operatives from Very Important Persons (VIPs), saying the move will strengthen security in vulnerable communities across the country.
In a statement released on Sunday, Onanuga explained that the decision was one of the key resolutions reached during the President’s high-level security meeting with Service Chiefs in Abuja.
According to him, the withdrawal is part of efforts to reposition the Nigeria Police Force for more effective nationwide policing.
“VIPs who want police protection will now request well-armed personnel from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps,” the presidential aide quoted the directive as saying.
He said the order would ensure that more police personnel are redeployed to crime-prone areas where their presence is urgently needed.
Speaking further during an interview on ARISE News on Monday, Onanuga lamented the disproportionate allocation of police manpower to VIP protection while communities continue to suffer rising insecurity.
“I read today about 100,000 policemen guarding VIPs. If you share them out to vulnerable areas, that will make a lot of difference,” he said.
He added that redeploying officers from escort duties to operational responsibilities will enhance police visibility and responsiveness across various states.
Under the new arrangement, VIPs requiring armed escorts must formally apply to the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), relieving the police of what the Presidency described as a misuse of scarce resources.
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