Senator Ndume slams continued police deployment to VIPs despite Bola Tinubu’s directive
A leading senator, Ali Ndume, has condemned the persistent presence of police officers attached to lawmakers and other Very Important Persons (VIPs), saying it flies in the face of a recent directive from Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and the presidency.
Presidential directive vs reality
At a high-level security meeting, President Tinubu ordered that police officers providing security to VIPs should be withdrawn and redeployed to more strategic policing duties across the country. Under the new scheme, VIPs who still require protection should request operatives from Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) instead.
But according to Ndume, the order remains largely unimplemented: “I thought today I would not see so many police in the National Assembly, but there are still crowded police in the complex,” he said, pointing out that the police presence around VIPs remains largely unchanged.
Why the deployment is being criticised
The senator says the continued assignment of police officers to ministers, lawmakers, and their families, including escorts for wives and children, is wasteful, unnecessary, and unfair to ordinary Nigerians. On a recent visit to a colleague’s home, Ndume reportedly counted ten police officers stationed there. To him, that level of resource allocation is unjustifiable.
He argued that if the capital city, Abuja, is adequately secured, there should be no need for individual protective details. “When you secure Abuja … common people become vulnerable,” he said.
What this could mean for policing in Nigeria
The initial presidential directive, confirmed by the Inspector-General of Police as involving the withdrawal of 11,566 police officers from VIP duties, was framed as part of a broader effort to boost frontline policing and respond to Nigeria’s growing security challenges.
But with the continued presence of police around VIPs, critics say the move risks being viewed as symbolic rather than substantive. Unless enforced across the board, the reallocation of police resources may not translate into improved security for the general public. Several analysts warn that simply reassigning officers, without tackling deeper systemic issues such as lack of equipment, training and operational readiness, may have limited impact.