The National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Samuel Anyanwu, has confirmed that his police orderlies have also been withdrawn, following the sweeping directive issued by President Bola Tinubu for the immediate removal of police escorts for VIPs across the country.
Speaking in a phone interview with Punch on Thursday, Anyanwu expressed support for the policy but urged the government to prioritise “elder statesmen and national officers of political parties” in the reassignment of security personnel.
“I support their withdrawal. Nigeria, as a government, is lacking in terms of manpower in the police. The police officers who are engaged with the VIPs have also mismanaged that position,” Anyanwu stated, explaining his understanding of the rationale behind the directive.
However, he added a caveat, urging the government to be discerning in its implementation of the policy.
“They should prioritise it. They should know the calibre of people and take a look at their potential to be able to know who really meets the requirements of VIPs. They should do a proper recording and documentation of these police officers,” he advised.
When asked whether he would turn to private guards in light of the withdrawal of his police details, Anyanwu rejected the idea outright.
“How can I be using private guards? I’m entitled to police escorts. I’m a national official of a political party and also a senator,” he said, reinforcing his entitlement to official security.
“But I have applied to the NSCDC for manpower. In fact, I even prefer them because they are well-trained too,” Anyanwu added.
The directive to withdraw police orderlies from VIPs was issued by President Tinubu, who recently convened a high-level security meeting with Service Chiefs in Abuja.
The withdrawal is part of a broader shake-up of security deployments, aimed at addressing ongoing challenges within Nigeria’s police force.
According to a statement from presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga, the directive is designed to free up resources and improve security in the country.
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