President Bola Tinubu has ordered the withdrawal of police officers assigned to protect Very Important Persons and politicians across the country, directing that they be immediately redeployed to core policing functions, including counter-insurgency operations.

The directive was issued during a high-level security meeting held on Sunday in Abuja, attended by the Service Chiefs and the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS).

In a statement released by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the administration said VIPs who require security coverage will henceforth be protected by armed operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps rather than the police.

“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered the withdrawal of police officers currently providing security for Very Important Persons in the country. Henceforth, police authorities will deploy them to concentrate on their core police duties,” Onanuga said. He added that the President is “desirous of boosting police presence in all communities” in response to the nation’s security challenges.

The statement also confirmed that Tinubu has approved the recruitment of an additional 30,000 police personnel. The Federal Government is working with state governments to upgrade police training facilities nationwide as part of broader reforms aimed at strengthening internal security.

Those present at the security meeting included the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Waidi Shaibu; Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke; Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun; and DSS Director-General, Tosin Adeola Ajayi.