President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday reaffirmed his VIP police recall directive, insisting that security operatives previously attached to influential individuals must return to core policing duties without further delay.
Speaking minutes before presiding over the Federal Executive Council meeting at the State House, Abuja, Tinubu expressed displeasure with the slow compliance rate, stressing that only essential exceptions should be made.
“If you have any problem because of the nature of your assignment, contact the IGP and get my clearance,” the President said, maintaining that the VIP police recall directive must be fully implemented.
He ordered the Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, to work with Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps to replace withdrawn escorts so that vulnerable individuals are not left exposed.
Tinubu also directed the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, and the Department of State Services to provide additional guidance and ensure seamless execution of the order.
Framing the move as a response to rising cases of kidnapping, he noted that the nation needs all available police officers deployed to communities, highways, investigations and school protection.
The President added that Civil Defence personnel should take over VIP protection where necessary, and disclosed that forest guards will also be armed under a new security strategy.
Beyond security restructuring, Tinubu charged Vice-President Kashim Shettima to use the National Economic Council to identify and rehabilitate grazing reserves into ranch settlements as part of a broader national livestock reform agenda.
He said the initiative would help eliminate persistent farmer-herder conflicts and transform livestock production into a viable economic sector.
While urging states to make available suitable lands, the President said the goal is to convert conflict-prone areas into centres of productivity and prosperity.
His remarks came nearly three weeks after issuing the initial VIP police recall directive, following mass kidnappings across Kebbi, Kwara and Niger states.
The renewed emphasis on implementation aligns with concerns raised by Nobel Laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka, who recently criticised the excessive number of security personnel attached to a young individual linked to the Presidency.
His comments reignited public debate on the misuse of police escorts and further underscored the urgency of the President’s VIP police recall directive.