The Nigeria Police Force has set up a Special Enforcement Team to ensure full adherence to President Bola Tinubu‘s directive prohibiting the use of police personnel for Very Important Persons (VIPs) escort and guard duties.
In a statement released on Saturday through the Force’s 𝕏 handle, Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, revealed that the special team commenced its monitoring operation in Lagos on December 6, 2025, starting at approximately 10:00 am.
Hundeyin disclosed that the operation covered strategic areas such as the Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge, the domestic wing of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, and other key points across the state.
The police spokesperson reported that the exercise revealed a “satisfactory and commendable” level of compliance with the presidential order.
He emphasised that there were no reports of unauthorised police escort deployments, and no arrests were made during the monitoring.
“The monitoring revealed no violations of the directive, confirming that the operation was successful in Lagos,” Hundeyin said.
The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, PhD, NPM, reiterated the Force’s full commitment to implementing the presidential directive. The IGP highlighted that the redeployment of police officers back to core policing duties would help enhance the country’s security apparatus, focusing on crime prevention and the protection of citizens.
“We remain resolute in ensuring that our personnel are deployed to tasks that directly contribute to enhancing public safety and national security,” said IGP Egbetokun.
Hundeyin assured the public that the implementation of this policy would continue nationwide, stressing that it would be carried out “without fear or favour.”
He further urged citizens to support the ongoing efforts to build a more efficient, professional, and people-centred policing system in Nigeria.
President Tinubu’s directive to withdraw police officers assigned to VIPs and redirect them to core security functions was made public after a security meeting held on November 23 in Abuja with service chiefs and the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS).
A statement from the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, outlined that VIPs who require protection would now be assigned armed operatives from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), rather than from the police.
The aim of the new policy, according to the statement, is to free up police personnel for frontline duties, especially in underserved communities, thereby strengthening Nigeria’s overall national security response.
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