The Nigerian Police Force has launched a force-wide crackdown on unauthorized VIP escorts, directing commanders across the country to arrest any officer found offering personal security services outside approved duties.
The move comes as the force intensifies efforts to realign policing priorities with a sweeping presidential order issued in late November.
A confidential wireless signal dated November 30, 2025, and dispatched by Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun, urged senior officers to enforce the instruction without hesitation.
The message—circulated to elite units including the Mobile Police Force, the VIP Protection Unit, the Counter-Terrorism Squad, as well as state and area commands—spelled out strict consequences for any breach.
According to Sahara Reporters, the memo emphasizes zero tolerance: any officer caught escorting a VIP within any command’s jurisdiction is to be “immediately arrested,” while supervising officers who allow such violations will face disciplinary action.
The directive places enforcement authority squarely in the hands of Compol X-Squads and the Inspector General’s Monitoring Unit (IGPMU), both of which have been tasked with ensuring absolute compliance nationwide. Marked “very important,” the internal communication underscores that the order requires instant implementation and will not be re-issued.
This intensified enforcement follows President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s November 23, 2025 instruction mandating the withdrawal of police personnel from VIP protection assignments.
Delivered during a high-level security briefing in Abuja, the President argued that redeploying officers to core policing functions is essential to improving public safety and crime-fighting capacity.
The meeting was attended by key security leaders, including Chief of Army Staff Lt. Gen. Waidi Shaibu; Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke; IGP Kayode Egbetokun; and Director-General of the DSS, Tosin Adeola Ajayi.
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With the new directive now in full effect, police formations across the country have been ordered to prioritize internal monitoring and uphold the President’s security reform agenda.
