Tinubu Orders Withdrawal of 100,000 Police From VIP Escorts To Reinforce National Security

A sweeping security overhaul is underway as President Bola Tinubu has directed that tens of thousands of police officers currently guarding VIPs be reassigned to frontline policing. The move, described as a decisive shift in national security strategy, aims to strengthen the fight against terrorism and banditry that continues to spread across the country.

The directive emerged during a high-level security meeting on Sunday in Abuja attended by Service Chiefs and the Director General of the Department of State Services. According to a statement issued by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy Bayo Onanuga, VIPs who require escorts will now receive security from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps instead of the police.

Security analysts have long criticised the diversion of police officers to protect politicians and influential individuals. An estimated 100,000 officers are currently attached to VIPs while communities face shortages of personnel. For years, successive Inspectors General promised to recall officers deployed as orderlies yet the practice persisted.

A 2025 report by the European Union Agency for Asylum placed Nigeria’s police strength at about 371,800 officers serving a population of more than 236 million people. The report warned that policing gaps were worsening because a large portion of officers serve in private protection roles instead of community policing.

Newsmen had previously highlighted the urgent need to redeploy officers back to public policing after renewed national outcry. Announcing the President’s order, Onanuga said Tinubu wants increased police presence in every community given the deteriorating security situation.

The President has also approved the recruitment of 30,000 additional officers while the Federal Government works with states to upgrade training facilities. Those present at the 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 the DSS Director General Tosin Adeola Ajayi.

The directive comes amid outrage in Niger State where troops reportedly withdrew from St Mary Private Primary and Secondary Schools minutes before an attack that led to the abduction of dozens of schoolgirls. Following the governor’s demand for answers the Defence Headquarters announced a full review of troop movements at the time of the incident.

The District Head of Maga, Muhammad Dantani, told newsmen that soldiers were present at the school around midnight but left shortly after. Police personnel at the scene said they took cover when the attackers arrived due to the overwhelming number of armed bandits.

Maj Gen Michael Onoja, Director of Defence Media Operations, confirmed that the military is investigating the events that led to the withdrawal. He assured that rescue operations are ongoing and that security around schools is being reinforced.

Meanwhile, the Theatre Commander of Operation Fansan Yamma Maj Gen Warrah Idris has instructed troops to intensify efforts to locate the armed group responsible for the abductions. During an assessment visit he told officers that the bandits are under pressure and must not be allowed any escape route.

In Kebbi State, the government has ordered the immediate closure of all public and private secondary schools in response to escalating threats. Commissioners Halima Bande and Issa Abubakar Tunga cited recent attacks as justification for the sweeping shutdown which affects hundreds of schools across all 21 local government areas.

Security adviser Col Ahmed Usman (retd) criticised the closures, warning that shutting down schools could embolden criminal groups and worsen long-term socio-economic conditions. He urged authorities to combine military action with dialogue, youth empowerment and efforts to address root causes of insecurity.

Amid the turmoil, there was a breakthrough in Niger State as 50 abducted schoolgirls escaped from captivity and reunited with their families. Church leaders confirmed the escape and reported that 253 students and 12 staff members remain in captivity.

In Kwara State, 38 worshippers abducted from Christ Apostolic Church Oke Isegun were freed after a coordinated operation by multiple security agencies. Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq credited the success to President Tinubu’s direct intervention after he cancelled his trip to the G20 Summit in South Africa to focus on the crisis.

Pope Leo XIV joined global voices calling for the immediate release of abducted schoolchildren, expressing deep sadness over rising attacks on students and worshippers in Nigeria.

Reacting to the wave of violence, the All Progressives Congress warned that the pattern of coordinated attacks suggests attempts by fifth columnists to trigger national panic before the 2027 elections. The party insisted that President Tinubu is fully in control of the situation and committed to protecting lives and property.

A former Osun lawmaker Olatunbosun Oyintiloye urged the President and the National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu to identify and prosecute saboteurs undermining military operations. He warned that internal betrayal must be addressed to prevent further deterioration.