Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has said the recent presidential directive withdrawing police personnel from Very Important Persons (VIPs) is a strategic move to boost frontline security and protect vulnerable communities across Nigeria.0
Speaking in Abuja during a meeting with senior police commanders, Egbetokun explained that the decision was not based on emotion but on the urgent need to deploy manpower to areas where public safety is most at risk.
According to him, the decision aligns with the core mandate of the Nigeria Police Force, which is to safeguard citizens, communities, and public order.
He revealed that 11,566 police officers withdrawn from VIP protection have already been reassigned to critical policing duties.
“In line with the President’s directive, we have withdrawn a total of 11,566 personnel from VIP protection.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,” he said.
The IGP noted that the redeployment will strengthen rural and urban security, enhance population protection, expand patrol presence, support intelligence-led operations, and improve rapid response to emerging threats.
He also warned that the implementation of the directive would be carefully managed to prevent impersonation or misinformation. He added that detailed guidelines would be issued soon.
“The withdrawal is not a retreat from responsibility, but a reclamation of it,” he said.
Egbetokun highlighted recent security incidents in states such as Kwara, Kebbi, and Niger, saying they have made it necessary for the police to reposition the force and boost visibility across the country.
He admitted that while some citizens may believe the police are not doing enough, the force is making continuous efforts.
“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 also disclosed recent operational achievements of the police, including the arrest of 8,202 suspects for various crimes and the rescue of 232 kidnapped victims.
These include arrests of:
451 armed robbery suspects
356 kidnapping suspects
534 murder suspects
129 culpable homicide suspects
173 for unlawful firearm possession
312 suspected rapists
282 suspected cultists
Plus 6,094 other suspects for serious offences
He added that officers recovered 249 firearms, nearly 21,000 rounds of ammunition, and 238 vehicles.
Egbetokun said the force is strengthening intelligence gathering, community engagement, and inter-agency collaboration to stay ahead of criminals.
With the festive season approaching, he directed all state commands to activate enhanced patrols, improve highway visibility, and adopt community-focused policing strategies. He also encouraged the use of drones and AI-driven surveillance tools.
“As we approach the festive season, the nation will witness its highest annual travel activity. Criminals will seek to exploit the roads. Therefore, the roads must be decisively dominated by proactive policing,” he said.
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He ordered expanded highway patrols, reinforced foot patrols at motor parks, anti-robbery operations on major routes, intelligence-backed patrols in rural corridors, and inter-agency patrols to ensure safe travel during the festive period.
The directive follows the President’s instruction that police officers assigned to VIPs be recalled and reassigned to core policing functions after a high-level security meeting in Abuja.
