President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Wednesday issued a fresh directive mandating total compliance with his earlier order withdrawing all police personnel attached to Very Important Personalities (VIPs) nationwide.
Speaking before the commencement of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, the President said Nigeria could no longer afford to deploy scarce police resources to private individuals at a time the country is battling heightened kidnapping and terrorism threats.
The President also instructed the Minister of Interior, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to immediately replace withdrawn police escorts with other security personnel to avoid exposing anyone to danger.
According to him, the current security situation requires a complete recalibration of how available forces are utilised. “It should be effective. We face challenges of kidnapping and terrorism; we need all the forces that we can utilise,” he stated.
The President reminded the nation that his earlier order followed the recent surge in abductions, including the kidnapping of students in Kebbi and Niger States. The directive was also accompanied by his approval for the recruitment of 20,000 additional police officers to strengthen national security.
Reiterating the firmness of his withdrawal order, Tinubu stressed that no VIP should retain police escorts without proper clearance. “And I told the IGP, and I hope the minister of police affairs is here, if you have any problem of security because of the nature of the assignment, please contact the IGP and get my clearance,” he said.
He further directed: “The minister of interior should liaise with the IGP and Civil Defence structure to replace those police officers who are on special security duties. So that you don’t leave people exposed.”
The President also tasked the National Security Adviser (NSA) and the Department of State Services (DSS) with reviewing the nation’s security architecture. “NSA and DSS to provide further information and form themselves into the committee and review the structure,” he added.
Tinubu noted that while certain individuals may still require special protection, the country must rely more heavily on adequately armed Civil Defence personnel and other security outfits. He also ordered the NSA to prioritise arming forest guards nationwide. “I know some of our people are exposed…and civil defence are equally armed, and I want to know that from NSA to arm our forest guards too, take it very seriously,” he said.
Turning to agricultural security and livestock management, the President directed Vice President Kashim Shettima to engage state governors through the National Economic Council (NEC) on rehabilitating abandoned grazing reserves into modern ranches and livestock settlements.
“Again, specifically livestock reform, I think the Vice President should get the NEC first of all to see which villages or grazing reserves can be salvaged or rehabilitated into Ranches, Livestock settlements,” he said.
Tinubu noted that such reforms would significantly reduce herder-farmer conflicts, turning a long-standing challenge into an economic asset. “We must eliminate the possibility of conflicts and turn the livestock reform into economically viable development. The opportunity is there, let’s utilise it,” he said.
He emphasised that states must play their constitutional role in releasing suitable land for the initiative, saying: “Whichever one they can salvage, convert to a livestock village, let us stop this conflict area and turn it into economic opportunities and prosperity.”
