The Nigeria Police Force has deployed a Special Enforcement Team to ensure compliance with President Bola Tinubu’s directive prohibiting police personnel from providing escort and guard duties for VIPs.
According to a statement on X by the Force’s Public Relations Officer, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, the team began statewide monitoring in Lagos on December 6, 2025, around 10:00 am. Key locations covered included the Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge, the domestic wing of Murtala Muhammed International Airport, and other strategic points.
Hundeyin noted that the exercise revealed “satisfactory and commendable” adherence to the order, with no unauthorized police escorts observed and no arrests made.
The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, reaffirmed the Force’s commitment to implementing the directive, emphasizing that police personnel would now focus on core policing duties, including crime prevention and protecting lives and property nationwide.
The Presidential directive, issued on November 23, 2025, mandates that VIPs requiring protection be assigned armed operatives from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps instead of the police. The move aims to free up police manpower for frontline duties, particularly in underserved communities, while strengthening national security.
Hundeyin urged citizens to support the policy as part of efforts to build a more professional, people-centered policing system.
