The Federal Government has asked Nigerians to help monitor VIPs who continue to use police escorts despite the presidential directive ordering their withdrawal.
The call was made by President Bola Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Media and Public Communication, Daniel Bwala, during an interview on TVC, where he stressed the administration’s focus on restoring police visibility nationwide.
Bwala said citizens play a central role in enforcing the order and urged them to provide evidence when they spot violations. “If you identify a celebrity, a private sector person or any person who has the police against the executive order of the president, as much as you can capture evidence, whether a photograph or video,” he said.
Clarifying Who Qualifies for Security Protection
The presidency explained that the directive does not remove security from every government official. Bwala said some officials performing “critical” roles will continue to receive state protection.
He added that the approved security substitutes include the State Security Service (SSS) and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC). “It could be SSS, civil defence and not police will be there to help you. But police have no business being with you,” he said.
Backstory: Why the Police Escorts Are Being Withdrawn
President Tinubu last week ordered the immediate withdrawal of police officers attached to VIPs across the country.
The officers are to be reassigned to core policing functions to boost national security.
The directive followed a meeting in Abuja with top security leaders, including the police chief, service chiefs of the Air Force and Army, and the Director-General of the DSS. According to the government, thousands of police officers have been diverted to guard VIPs, leaving remote and semi-urban communities underserved.
Presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga said VIPs who still need armed protection must now request NSCDC officers instead of police escorts. The move aligns with Tinubu’s concern that police presence in rural areas has sharply declined.
The President also approved the recruitment of 30,000 new police officers, alongside an upgrade of training facilities to ensure new recruits are well-equipped and deployed across the country.
Enforcement, Accountability and Constitutional Implications
Bwala said citizens’ reports will help test the integrity of the directive and the president’s commitment to enforcing it. “Now if we have evidence of violation of the order of the president by anybody… we are happy to have that information so we can judge whether the president is a man who stands on his word or a president that can be bended by people who undermine the instruction or directive of the president. Nigerian people get the record, get the picture, get anything,” he said.
He added that any official who violates the order is breaching constitutional provisions and undermining presidential authority. The government hopes that public participation will strengthen compliance and restore police capacity across the country.
