A FORMER Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, has revealed why previous efforts to withdraw police officers attached to Very Important Persons (VIPs) failed, noting that such directives issued solely by police chiefs lacked presidential authority and the political will required for enforcement.
News Point Nigeria reports that Baba spoke on Saturday in Abuja at the public presentation of his two biographies, “Giant Footprints” and “A Policeman Personified”, where he praised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for breaking new ground on a long-debated national security issue.
According to the former police chief, earlier attempts by successive Inspectors-General to recall officers from VIP security duties collapsed largely due to institutional pushback and the influence wielded by powerful individuals benefiting from the system.
He stated that President Tinubu’s new decision to withdraw police personnel from private individuals and undeserving VIPs marks the first time such a directive is emanating directly from the presidency, giving it a stronger chance of full implementation.
“As far as my memory can lead me, this is the first time that such an order will emanate directly from a sitting President.
We have tried to do it as IGPs, but we couldn’t make it. Let’s see how this one will work,” Baba said.
Expressing profound appreciation to the President, the former IGP noted that Tinubu’s action demonstrates a strong commitment to restoring the central, constitutional role of the Nigeria Police Force in internal security, a role he said had been weakened by decades of misuse of police personnel for personal protection.
He added that the presidential directive was “another clear manifestation” of the administration’s determination to reposition the police for efficiency and public trust.
Baba further explained that documenting his policing journey through the newly launched biographies would enrich national debates on policing reforms, inspire younger officers, and provide policymakers with valuable insights into institutional challenges and successes within the Nigerian security architecture.
His remarks follow an earlier announcement that President Tinubu had ordered the immediate withdrawal of all police officers attached to VIPs, with the directive aimed at boosting manpower for core policing duties nationwide.
According to the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, VIPs requiring armed escorts will henceforth be assigned operatives from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
The administration says the move will free up thousands of police personnel for frontline operations especially in underserved and high-risk communities strengthening the country’s internal security response as part of broader policing reforms.
