The Federal Government has announced plans to stop the misuse of police and other security operatives by Very Important Persons (VIPs), insisting that elite protection can no longer continue at the expense of national security.
The Special Adviser to the President on Policy and Coordination and Head of the Central Delivery Coordination Unit (CDCU), Hadiza Bala-Usman, disclosed this on Thursday during the Ministry of Interior’s performance retreat in Abuja.
Bala-Usman expressed concern over the diversion of police officers and specialised units from their core security functions to serve as escorts for politically connected individuals and business elites.
“One of the most disturbing things for me is when VIPs arrive somewhere with so many policemen trailing them, while the areas that actually need security are left unattended,” she said.
“We cannot continue to deploy police trained for anti-terrorism operations just to guard individuals in Ikoyi. That is wrong completely.”
She revealed that the government was already working to amend the Private Guard Companies Act to empower licensed private security firms to take over VIP escort duties.
“We must free our policemen to do national security as required. Whoever feels too important and wants machine gun-wielding personnel protecting him should go and hire a private security company with the necessary documentation, not take our mobile policemen,” she declared.
According to Bala-Usman, the reform has been listed as a key deliverable under the CDCU framework, with the Ministry of Interior tasked to fast-track relevant amendments before the end of the third quarter of 2025.
Citing her personal observation, she recalled instances where anti-terrorism squads were being used for personal protection instead of fighting insecurity.
“I saw elite police units stationed daily near my house in Ikoyi being used for VIP protection. I immediately reported it to the National Security Adviser. These personnel should be in the field combating terrorism, not guarding individuals,” she said.
She warned that such practices undermine public safety and weaken the morale of overstretched security personnel across the country.
To reduce pressure on serving officers, Bala-Usman recommended the integration of retired senior police officials into structured private security outfits.
“We have so many retired AIGs, DIGs and CPs who can be mopped up into a well-regulated private security system. That way, we reduce the pressure on our overstretched security agencies and still provide the support that is needed,” she explained.
She stressed that VIP protection is not a national entitlement but a service that should be privately funded.
“VIP protection is not a public entitlement. It is a service that should be paid for. Our policemen must be freed to protect Nigerians at large, not just a privileged few,” she asserted.
Bala-Usman concluded that the reform would not only enhance security nationwide but also enforce accountability by compelling elites to fund their own protection instead of burdening the state.
