The Nigeria Police Force has issued a strong warning that any officer caught providing security escorts for Very Important Persons (VIPs) will face immediate arrest, following new directives from the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun.
Police spokesperson Benjamin Hundeyin made the announcement during a live appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Tuesday, stressing that the force has begun strict enforcement of the new policy.
According to Hundeyin, the IGP’s instruction is clear: escorting VIPs now constitutes an “illegal duty,” and every officer previously assigned to such tasks has been withdrawn.
“The enforcement is active. The IGP has ordered that any officer found escorting VIPs be arrested because such an officer is engaging in illegal duty. All of them have been recalled,” Hundeyin said.
To ensure compliance, the IGP has issued firm operational orders to top command structures across the country, including key transportation hubs such as the Abuja and Lagos airports.
Hundeyin explained further: “The IGP directed the AIG in charge of the Special Protection Unit to deploy operatives to the Abuja airport to arrest any officer still escorting VIPs. A similar directive was given to the Lagos State Commissioner of Police to take charge of the Lagos airport. That is how seriously this order is being implemented.”
He also emphasized that the decision is not tied to financial inducements or partisan motives, dismissing suggestions that the police leadership was responding to political or economic pressures.
Also Read: Ejiba Church Attack: Gunmen Seek ₦500m Ransom for Kidnapped Pastor Orlando
The policy shift aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s earlier directive withdrawing police escorts from VIPs as part of broader efforts to strengthen manpower for internal security operations.
