THE Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has announced that more than 11,000 police officers previously assigned to guard Very Important Persons (VIPs) have been withdrawn and redeployed to core policing duties nationwide, in line with President Bola Tinubu’s recent directive.
News Point Nigeria reports that speaking during a meeting with senior police commanders in Abuja on Thursday, Egbetokun said the decision was a strategic move designed to reinforce frontline security operations and restore police visibility across communities facing heightened security threats.
According to him, the police leadership fully supports the policy, which he described as a necessary correction to years of manpower distortion caused by excessive attachment of officers to VIPs.
“In line with the President’s directive, we have withdrawn a total of 11,566 personnel from VIP protection. These officers are being redeployed to critical policing duties immediately,” the IGP said.
Egbetokun noted that the redeployment will significantly boost manpower availability for rural and urban security operations, intelligence-led patrols, rapid response activities, and the protection of areas vulnerable to banditry, kidnapping, and violent crime.
The police chief stressed that the withdrawal was neither punitive nor sentimental but a deliberate effort to reposition the Nigeria Police Force for optimal service delivery.
“The withdrawal is not a retreat from responsibility, but a reclamation of it,” he stated.
He said detailed guidelines on the implementation of the directive would soon be released to prevent cases of impersonation, misinformation, or exploitation by criminals posing as officers previously assigned to VIPs.
Egbetokun referenced recent security incidents including abductions in Kwara, Kebbi, and Niger States—which have raised public concerns about police performance.
“We may not be doing enough, but it is not that we are not working. We are actually doing something. But as leaders, we must hold ourselves to a higher standard,” he said.
The IGP revealed that in the last few weeks alone, the police achieved major breakthroughs across the country. These include:
8,202 suspects arrested, including: 451 for armed robbery, 356 for kidnapping, 534 for murder, 129 for culpable homicide, 173 for unlawful possession of firearms, 312 for rape, 282 alleged cultists, 6,094 suspects for other serious offences, 232 kidnapped victims rescued and 249 firearms, nearly 21,000 rounds of ammunition, and 238 vehicles recovered.
He said the force is enhancing community engagement, deepening intelligence gathering, and strengthening inter-agency coordination to stay ahead of criminal networks.
With December travel expected to peak nationwide, Egbetokun directed all state commands to activate festive security plans, ramping up patrols, surveillance, visibility operations, and community policing initiatives.
“Criminals will seek to exploit the roads. Therefore, the roads must be decisively dominated by proactive policing and preparedness,” he said.