Prominent Nigerians are expressing deep concerns about their personal safety following President Bola Tinubu's directive to withdraw police escorts from Very Important Persons across the country. The presidential order, announced through spokesman Bayo Onanuga over the weekend, mandates that police personnel return to core operational duties while VIPs seeking close protection should instead engage the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps.
VIPs Flood Police Headquarters With Panic Calls
According to multiple police sources who spoke with Vanguard newspaper, numerous influential individuals have been bombarding police headquarters with telephone calls since the announcement. The VIPs are seeking clarification and expressing anxiety about their security arrangements, particularly given Nigeria's current fragile security climate characterized by widespread kidnappings, banditry, and other violent crimes.
One police source revealed that many callers are questioning whether NSCDC operatives possess the same level of training, equipment, and readiness as the mobile police officers they've grown accustomed to. The uncertainty has created significant unease among the country's elite who have long relied on police protection.
Civil Defence Dismissed as 'Boy Scouts'
The level of skepticism toward the Civil Defence Corps became starkly evident when one VIP reportedly told senior police officers that relying on NSCDC personnel would be equivalent to engaging Boy Scouts for serious security protection. The anonymous VIP argued that mobile policemen are better equipped and more prepared to handle unpredictable security threats that might emerge during their movements.
Another concerned VIP noted that police escorts have become an integral component of Nigeria's security architecture for prominent citizens. He warned that abruptly ending this service without a clear and well-communicated transition plan could generate more fear and uncertainty among those affected.
Broader Implications for National Security
While VIPs express personal security concerns, serving police officers have highlighted potential benefits of the presidential directive for broader public safety. One anonymous officer told Vanguard that widespread allocation of police escorts to wealthy individuals has weakened the force's capacity to respond effectively to criminal activities in communities.
The officer pointed to Nigeria's ongoing struggles with kidnappers, insurgents, and armed gangs, noting that assigning numerous officers to VIP protection often leaves neighborhoods with fewer patrol units. Another police source in Abuja described how entire units are frequently dedicated to escorting governors or business figures for extended periods, creating logistical strains that compromise policing effectiveness in their assigned districts.
The debate around police escorts has long raised questions about fairness and the equitable distribution of public security resources. While the practice has often been justified by the status of those being protected, critics argue it represents a misallocation of limited security personnel that should instead be deployed to protect the general public.
President Tinubu's directive comes as his administration has pledged determined action against terrorism and banditry in northern Nigeria. During the 25th anniversary of the Arewa Consultative Forum in Kaduna on November 22, the President, represented by House Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, vowed that no region would be allowed to 'bleed while the federal government watches.'
