President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered a sweeping withdrawal of police officers attached to VIPs across the country, directing that they return to core policing duties as Nigeria battles rising insecurity.
Following the presidential directive, the Nigeria Police Force’s Mobile Force, 50 Squadron in Kubwa, Abuja, issued an urgent memo instructing all officers assigned to 20 high-profile individuals to report back to base by 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, November 27, 2025.
The order, signed by CSP Suleiman Abdullahi, covers a long list of prominent Nigerians — from former Vice Presidents Atiku Abubakar and Namadi Sambo to former First Lady Aisha Buhari, FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, and the Olu of Warri. Others include Senator Ahmed Lawal, Dr. Ramatu Tijjani, Ngozi Iweala, Hon. Yusuf Gagdi and several federal lawmakers and officials.
The directive marks the implementation of President Tinubu’s decision announced on Sunday at a high-level security meeting attended by service chiefs and the DSS Director-General. According to the President, police manpower must be redirected to communities that desperately need protection, especially rural areas overwhelmed by kidnappings, banditry, and deadly attacks.
Under the new policy, VIPs seeking personal protection will now be required to request armed personnel from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), not the police.
Already, internal restructuring has begun. Earlier in the week, a memo from SPU Base 16 in Lagos ordered all attached officers to return to base “immediately,” emphasizing that attendance would be taken and full compliance required.
The nationwide withdrawal represents one of the president’s most aggressive attempts to rebalance Nigeria’s stretched security resources — and could reshape how political elites access protection going forward.