The Nigerian Police Force has issued a nationwide directive ordering the immediate arrest of any officer found providing unauthorised personal security to VIPs, following a clear instruction from the Presidency.
A confidential police wireless message obtained by Standarddailypress, dated November 30, 2025, and issued by the Inspector General of Police (IGP), directed all state commands and specialised units to strictly enforce the order without exception.
The message, circulated to senior officers across departments including Operations, Assistant Inspectors General (AIGs) in the Zones, Mobile Police Force, VIP Protection Unit, Counter-Terrorism Unit, Federal Operations, as well as all state and area commands, stressed that any officer caught escorting a VIP outside an officially approved assignment must be immediately arrested.
“Following the presidential directive, all states are to arrest any police officer found escorting any VIP within your Area of Responsibility. Disciplinary actions will also be activated against any erring supervising officer,” the memo stated.
It added that supervising officers who fail to enforce the directive would face disciplinary consequences.
The enforcement responsibility has been assigned specifically to Commissioners of Police x-Squads and the IGPMU, with instructions for strict monitoring, compliance, and zero tolerance for violations. The memo was marked “very important” and noted that no additional reminders would be issued.
This police order follows concerns about the misuse and diversion of security personnel by individuals who are not entitled to official government protection. The Presidency has expressed worry that the deployment of officers for private VIP escorts has reduced manpower needed for essential policing duties.
On Sunday, November 23, 2025, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu directed that all police officers assigned to VIP security across the country be withdrawn and reassigned to core policing responsibilities. The directive was issued at a high-level security meeting in Abuja attended by top officials, including the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Waidi Shaibu; Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke; Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun; and Director-General of the Department of State Services, Tosin Adeola Ajayi.
Under the new structure, VIPs requiring security escorts must obtain well-armed personnel from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), rather than the police.
This reform comes amid worsening insecurity and serves as part of President Tinubu’s broader effort to strengthen national security by ensuring police officers are deployed where they are most needed, particularly in remote communities that lack adequate protection.