IGP Pulls 11,566 Police Escorts From VIPs After Tinubu’s Order, Deploys Personnel to Tackle Rising Crime

|By Adejumo Adekunle

The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has confirmed the withdrawal of 11,566 police officers previously assigned to Very Important Personalities (VIPs), enforcing President Bola Tinubu’s directive on prioritising national security over private protection.

President Tinubu had, on November 23, ordered the immediate recall of officers attached to VIPs following a surge in killings, abductions, and other violent crimes across the country.

Speaking during a meeting with senior police officers in Abuja on Thursday, the IGP said the presidential order empowered him to fully implement the withdrawal exercise without resistance or political pressure.

Egbetokun stressed that no VIP is permitted to challenge the recall, noting that the directive came directly from the President. He urged police personnel to maintain professionalism and intensify efforts in combating insecurity nationwide.

The police chief reiterated that the redeployed officers will strengthen national security operations and ensure round-the-clock surveillance to curb escalating criminal activities.