Our Reporter
The Presidency has called on Nigerians to actively monitor and report Very Important Persons (VIPs) who continue to use police escorts in violation of President Bola Tinubu’s recent directive withdrawing police protection from non-governmental individuals.
The appeal was made by the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Public Communication, Daniel Bwala, during an interview on TVC on Sunday. Bwala said public participation is crucial to ensuring full compliance with the executive order, which aims to free up police personnel for core security duties across the country.
“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 clarified that the directive does not apply to all public officials, noting that security will remain in place for individuals whose roles demand it.
“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 explained.
According to him, where protection is required, other security agencies such as the State Security Service (SSS) and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) may be deployed instead of the police.
“It could be SSS, Civil Defence, and not the police who will be there to help you. But police have no business being with you,” he added.
Recall that LinesWatch earlier reported that President Tinubu directed the withdrawal of police officers attached to VIPs nationwide and ordered their redeployment to frontline policing functions.
The policy is part of the administration’s broader efforts to rationalise the deployment of police resources, address manpower shortages within the force, and prioritise public safety over private guard duties.