President Bola Tinubu has ordered the withdrawal of no fewer than 100,000 police officers currently assigned to Very Important Persons and politicians, directing that they be redeployed to core policing duties and counter-insurgency operations across the country.
The directive was issued during a high-level security meeting held on Sunday in Abuja, attended by Service Chiefs and the Director-General of the Department of State Services.
According to a statement by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, VIPs requiring protection will now be assigned armed personnel from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, freeing up police officers for national security duties.
Despite repeated promises by past Inspectors-General to scale back police escorts for VIPs, the policy was never enforced. With an estimated 100,000 officers tied down on protective duties for influential individuals, the number available for community policing has been severely reduced.
A European Union report published in 2025 noted that Nigeria has roughly 371,800 police officers serving over 236 million people, warning that personnel shortages are worsened by the diversion of officers to VIP protection rather than public safety.
Announcing the President’s directive, Onanuga explained that Tinubu wants increased police visibility in communities nationwide. He added that the President has also approved the recruitment of 30,000 additional officers and is working with state governments to improve police training facilities.
Those present at the Abuja meeting included the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Waidi Shaibu; Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke; Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun; and the DG of DSS, Tosin Adeola Ajayi.
Controversy Over Troop Withdrawal in Niger State
Following reports that soldiers guarding St. Mary Private Primary and Secondary Schools in Papiri, Niger State, were withdrawn shortly before dozens of girls were abducted, the Defence Headquarters said it has begun reviewing the circumstances surrounding the troop movement.
Kebbi State Governor, Nasir Idris, questioned why soldiers left the school at such a critical moment, insisting that the state had issued prior intelligence alerts. He demanded a full military investigation.
A local district head confirmed that soldiers were at the school around midnight but left shortly after, before the attackers struck. Police officers present said they were overwhelmed by the heavily armed bandits.
Maj. Gen. Michael Onoja, Director of Defence Media Operations, said the military is probing the incident and assured that efforts to rescue the abducted students are ongoing.
Military Steps Up Hunt for Abducted Schoolgirls
In Niger State, the Theatre Commander of Operation Fansan Yamma, Maj. Gen. Warrah Idris, has ordered intensified operations to locate the armed group behind the abductions.
During an assessment visit to the school, he directed troops to maintain maximum pressure and vowed that the bandits would not find safe ground.
Local communities expressed relief after meeting with senior commanders, saying the visit renewed their hope that the students would be rescued.
Meanwhile, Col. Ahmed Usman (retd.), a security adviser in Sokoto State, criticised the growing trend of school closures across the North, warning that shutting down educational institutions weakens the region and emboldens criminals.
Kebbi Orders Statewide School Shutdown
Following rising security threats and recent attacks, the Kebbi State Government announced the immediate closure of all public and private secondary schools — one of the broadest education shutdowns in recent years. The order also affects several tertiary institutions, except the College of Nursing Sciences in Birnin Kebbi.
The state government said the decision was taken to protect students and staff as abductions continue to rise across the region.
50 Abducted Niger Schoolgirls Escape
In a glimmer of hope, 50 pupils kidnapped from St. Mary Private School, Papiri, have escaped and reunited with their families. Community leaders confirmed that a total of 253 people, including students and staff, remain in captivity.
A church leader in the state confirmed the escape after visiting affected families.
Kwara Abducted Worshippers Regain Freedom
Thirty-eight worshippers kidnapped from a church in the Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State have regained their freedom following a coordinated rescue operation involving soldiers, intelligence agencies, special police units and local vigilantes.
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38 Abducted Worshippers Freed in Kwara After Joint Security Operation
The state government announced the development and praised the swift action of security forces. It was revealed that President Bola Tinubu personally intervened, even cancelling a planned foreign trip to focus on resolving the crisis.
Pope Calls for Release of Kidnapped Children
Pope Leo XIV has called for the immediate release of abducted Nigerian schoolgirls, describing the attacks on schools and places of worship as deeply troubling. He urged prayers and solidarity for the victims and their families.
APC Warns of Coordinated Sabotage
The All Progressives Congress has warned that the recent wave of abductions across the North may be part of an orchestrated plot by “fifth columnists” trying to create national panic ahead of 2027.
The party said President Tinubu is fully in control of the security situation and stressed that no political actor should hope to benefit from the nation’s insecurity.
Calls for Identifying Saboteurs
A former Osun State lawmaker urged the President and the National Security Adviser to identify and prosecute saboteurs within the security system, warning that internal betrayal and external collaboration may be undermining the fight against insecurity.
