There is now a rising demand for private security firms and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in the wake of President Bola Tinubu’s directive to withdraw police escorts from Very Important Personalities.
Naijaonpoint recalls that President Tinubu issued the order on Sunday, stating that the aim was to deploy more police to underserved Nigerian communities rather than depriving citizens of protection.
On Thursday, the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, confirmed that 11,566 officers previously attached to VIP protection duties had already been recalled, a shift that has begun redefining Nigeria’s personal security landscape.
Investigations by The Nation revealed that affected VIPs had turned increasingly to private security contractors and NSCDC officers for personal and family protection.
At the NSCDC Headquarters in Abuja, insiders who spoke with The Nation confirmed that high-ranking officers were receiving discreet inquiries from prominent political actors, business elites, and their aides seeking the deployment of armed personnel.
The source said, “As we speak today, they have started making moves to request NSCDC personnel, but we lack the manpower to serve these elites. Our last recruitment was 5,000, and the one we are about to do now is 10,000, but note that the less than 100,000 that we have are spread all over the country because of challenges around mining activities, pipeline safety and so on.
“And for special duties like the 2025 Abuja Independence Day celebration, about 4,500 were deployed, while events like the 2025 Anambra governorship election alone require 10,000 personnel.”
A source in the organisation said yesterday in Enugu that applications for the services of their personnel have been on a massive rise in the last few days.
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