President Bola Tinubu’s government has officially begun the withdrawal of police excorts from Very Important Persons (VIPs) and redeploying them to core policing duties. According to the Presidency, this move will strengthen security across communities.
The directive was first issued at a high-level security meeting on 23 November 2025, where Tinubu expressed concern over the number of police personnel guarding politicians, businessmen, and private individuals while understaffed stations struggle with kidnappings, bandit attacks, and violent crime. VIPs who still need escorts will now rely on NSCDC operatives, freeing the police for frontline work.
To reinforce this shift, the President also approved the recruitment of 30,000 new police officers and fast-tracked upgrades to training facilities in partnership with state governments. 
However, the rollout got messy last week when a fake memo began circulating online, claiming the 50 PMF Squadron in Abuja had ordered officers to immediately return to base.
The document, signed by a non-existent “CSP Suleiman Abdullahi,” quickly went viral, prompting the Nigeria Police Force to issue two clarifications on 28 November.
According to the spokesperson on X, the memo was fake, and the real implementation was happening “in phases, professionally, and without creating security gaps”.
What Does The Withdrawal of Police Escorts Mean for Everyday Nigerians?
Many Nigerians joke that they might finally see police officers outside VIP birthday parties and convoy selfies. Others wondered whether communities would actually feel the difference, given how many past governments issued similar orders that quietly faded away.
Still, for some, there could be real potential here. Fewer officers tied to political entourages could mean more patrols, quicker response times, and actual police presence in remote communities where insecurity has become part of daily life.
Whether this time will be different remains the big question we all seek answers to. For now, the government insists the shift marks a “new philosophy of security management” – one that puts the average Nigerian, not the VIPs, at the centre.
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