Moghalu Faults Culture Of Excess Police Escorts, Seeks Reform

Former presidential candidate and president of the African School of Governance, Prof Kingsley Moghalu, has criticised the entrenched culture of heavy police escorts for political office holders in Nigeria, describing it as a sign of deeper governance failures.

He also called for reforms over Nigeria’s broader security system, saying that the withdrawal of escorts should not be mistaken for meaningful change.

He said this against the backdrop of President Bola Tinubu’s recent directive withdrawing police escorts from several public officials, which has sparked nationwide reactions about privilege and security in the country.

Adding his voice to the conversation, Moghalu said the fact that disruptions to these security arrangements make headlines shows how embedded the culture has become.

In a statement shared via his X page on Thursday he said, “personal security by government-paid law enforcement personnel for thousands of political office holders and even private citizens has become so embedded, and its disruption is seen as big news.”

According to him, the reliance on large security details reflects a system unable to guarantee safety for ordinary citizens.

Moghalu added that beyond orders to reduce escorts for top officials, Nigerians must focus on transforming its overall security environment.

He said this includes improving human security by tackling poverty and reducing the social pressures that fuel crime.

“The more important work to do is to transform the underlying security environment. This includes improving human security, reducing poverty to the barest minimum,” the former presidential candidate said.