11th December, 2025.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has reinforced his directive requiring the withdrawal of police personnel from VIP protection duties, declaring that any government official seeking additional security must now obtain his personal clearance.
The President issued the renewed order on Wednesday during the Federal Executive Council meeting at the State House in Abuja, expressing frustration over the slow implementation of the policy first announced in November 2024.
“I honestly believe in what I said. It should be effected. If you have any problem because of the nature of your assignment, contact the IGP and get my clearance,” Tinubu stated, making clear his determination to see the policy through.
The renewed emphasis came just 24 hours after Nobel Laureate Professor Wole Soyinka publicly criticized the massive security presence surrounding Seyi Tinubu, the President’s son.
Speaking at the 20th Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism Awards in Lagos on Tuesday, Soyinka described encountering approximately 15 heavily armed security operatives accompanying the younger Tinubu at a hotel in Ikoyi, Lagos.
The renowned writer initially mistook the scene for a movie production before learning the heavily armed convoy belonged to the President’s son. Soyinka later said the security detail was sufficient to take over a small country.
So startled by what he witnessed, Soyinka immediately contacted the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, who was attending a meeting with the President in Paris at the time.
“I’ve just seen something I can’t believe, I don’t understand,” the Nobel laureate recalled telling the security chief, questioning why a presidential family member required such extensive protection.
Soyinka’s intervention marked the first time the longtime Tinubu supporter has publicly criticized the President. While making light-hearted remarks about deploying Seyi to handle insurgencies, Soyinka emphasized that beyond the humor lies a serious matter of priority and fairness.
During Wednesday’s council meeting, Tinubu directed the Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, to coordinate with Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps to ensure withdrawn police escorts are replaced with NSCDC personnel.
“The Minister of Interior should liaise with the IGP and the Civil Defence structure to replace those police officers who are on special security duties so that you don’t leave people exposed,” the President emphasized.
He also mandated that the National Security Adviser and the Department of State Services establish a review committee to assess the current security deployment structure nationwide.
Justifying the policy, Tinubu cited the escalating kidnapping crisis affecting the country. “We are facing challenges of kidnapping. We need all the forces we have on ground, fully utilized,” he said.
The President further announced plans to arm forest guards and instructed Vice President Kashim Shettima to work with the National Economic Council to convert grazing reserves into functional ranches, aiming to reduce farmer-herder conflicts.
The original directive was issued on November 23, 2024, following a security meeting that addressed kidnapping incidents affecting over 300 people, including schoolchildren, across Kebbi, Kwara, and Niger states.
However, implementation has faced criticism for appearing selective. Senator Abdul Ningi, representing Bauchi Central, protested on the Senate floor Wednesday that his lone police orderly was withdrawn while politicians, business executives, entertainers, and political families continue enjoying full police protection.
“I have seen singers and foreign business owners with police escorts. But a senator has his only orderly withdrawn? It is unfair,” Ningi complained, calling for uniform enforcement.
Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, who presided over the session, acknowledged the concerns and directed the Senate Committee on Police Affairs to investigate the alleged inconsistent implementation.
Security analysts estimate that over 60,000 police officers are currently attached to VIPs nationwide, a number exceeding total police deployment in several state commands combined.
If fully implemented, the policy could free thousands of officers for community policing, rapid response operations, and counter-kidnapping missions across the country.