By Francis Ajuonuma
The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, on Thursday announced that 11,566 police personnel have been withdrawn from VIP protection assignments in line with President Bola Tinubu’s new security directive aimed at strengthening frontline policing across the country.
Speaking at the Strategic Police Managers Conference in Abuja, Egbetokun said the recalled officers have already begun redeployment to underserved and vulnerable communities, marking what he described as one of the most significant workforce realignments in recent policing history.
He said the presidential directive was a strategic and necessity-driven recalibration of national security priorities, designed to ensure that more officers serve the broader public rather than a select group of individuals.
“This action is a patriotic, forward-looking and operationally prudent measure designed to strengthen our manpower capacity for critical frontline policing functions,” the IGP said.
He noted that the security landscape has placed increasing pressure on unprotected populations, making the return of thousands of officers to community policing operations vital for public safety.
According to Egbetokun, the redeployed officers will support large-scale population protection operations, reinforce rural and township security, expand investigative response capabilities, deepen police visibility, and help contain emerging violent threats.
He emphasised that the Force remains aware of potential misinterpretation or exploitation of the directive by individuals seeking political or personal advantage, stressing that the Police will implement the policy in a controlled and transparent manner.
“To guard against misinformation, the Force will release detailed implementation modalities, including timelines, safeguards and accountability measures,” he said.
The guidelines, he added, will first be communicated internally before being shared with the public “through appropriate professional channels.”
The IGP said the phased rollout is essential to prevent opportunistic actors from spreading falsehoods, impersonating authority figures, or distorting the initiative’s intent.
President Bola Tinubu had on Wednesday declared a nationwide security emergency, ordering increased recruitment into the Armed Forces and the Police amid rising attacks, kidnappings and communal violence across the country.
He also directed that withdrawn VIP protection officers undergo crash retraining before deployment to high-risk zones, adding that NYSC camps may be used as temporary training depots for new police recruits.
The administration insists the recall of 11,566 personnel will strengthen national security, improve police presence, and redirect the workforce toward “collective public protection responsibilities.”
