Wednesday December 24, 2025
www.thenewsdesk.ng
Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s directive ordering the withdrawal of police officers from non-essential VIP protection duties has reportedly collapsed in spectacular fashion, with insiders revealing that the policy has been widely sabotaged through disguises, bribery, and informal arrangements within the force.
The directive, issued on November 23, 2025, during a high-level security meeting, was intended to redeploy police personnel guarding politicians, businessmen, and elites to frontline duties amid worsening insecurity, including mass kidnappings and violent attacks across several states. The order also coincided with government approval for the recruitment of 30,000 new police officers, while VIPs were directed to rely on personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
However, multiple security sources disclosed that the order has been reduced to a mere paper policy, as many police officers simply changed tactics while maintaining their lucrative VIP assignments.
According to the sources, affected officers now operate in vigilante uniforms, NSCDC attire, or corporate suits, often posing as private drivers or aides, while continuing to carry arms and provide personal protection to powerful individuals.
It was further alleged that service rifles officially “returned” to armouries were quietly reissued after bribes reportedly running into hundreds of thousands of naira, with some officers paying as much as ₦500,000 to retain their postings.
A police source familiar with the situation described the enforcement process as a charade, claiming that monitoring teams only make symbolic arrests, with officers quickly released and returned to duty once senior commanders intervene.
“This so-called VIP police withdrawal has changed nothing,” the source said. “It has only enriched senior officers while insecurity continues to spread and ordinary Nigerians remain unprotected.”
The directive has also faced stiff resistance from the political class, with several lawmakers openly expressing fear over their safety without armed police escorts. Senate President Godswill Akpabio was reported to have raised concerns during the presentation of the 2026 budget, warning of risks associated with reduced police protection for elected officials.
Observers note that similar attempts to withdraw police from VIP duties under previous administrations equally failed due to weak enforcement, elite pushback, and entrenched corruption within the security system.
The latest setback has once again exposed the deep structural rot within Nigeria’s security architecture, where reforms targeting elite privilege repeatedly collapse, while the wider population continues to face kidnappings, armed robbery, and violent crime with little protection.
Insta Bullets will continue to expose security-sector hypocrisy and hold those undermining genuine reform accountable no sacred cows.
Tinubu’s Order To Withdraw Police From VIPs Crumbles As Officers Sneak Back In Disguises, Bribery, Backdoor Deals
