‘Report VIPs With Police Escorts’, Presidency Tells Nigerians

The Presidency has called on Nigerians to play an active role in monitoring and reporting violations of President Bola Tinubu’s directive on the withdrawal of police escorts attached to Very Important Persons (VIPs).

Special Adviser on Media and Public Communication, Daniel Bwala, stated this during an interview on TVC on Sunday, where he stressed the administration’s determination to fully enforce the order.

“If you identify a celebrity, a private sector person, or any individual who has police against the executive order of the president, as much as you can, capture evidence, whether a photograph or video,” Bwala said.

He explained that while the directive is firm, it does not apply to every category of government official.

Daniel added that some individuals, due to the sensitivity of their roles, would still have government-provided protection.

“The order of the president to withdraw police from VIPs is not all-encompassing. There are critical people in government who will still have one form of security or another,” he clarified.

According to Bwala, where protection is deemed necessary, it would be provided by other agencies, such as the Department of State Services (DSS) or the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), rather than the police.

“It could be SSS, Civil Defence, and not the police who will be there to help you. But the police have no business being with you,” he added.

Tinubu had earlier directed that police officers attached to VIPs across the country be withdrawn and redeployed to core policing duties.

The directive forms part of the administration’s efforts to rationalise the use of police resources and strengthen public security.

The Presidency said the move is aimed at ensuring that the police focus on their primary responsibility of safeguarding lives and property, rather than providing personal services to private individuals.