The recent move by the Nigerian police to withdraw their officers from the security teams of ‘very important’ persons is great news, but as always, the true test is implementation.
Development Diaries reports that the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, ordered the withdrawal of mobile police officers from ‘Very Important Persons’ (VIPs).
This move, if implemented with integrity and urgency, could mark a turning point in restoring the core duty of the police, which is to protect the public, not the powerful.
Recall that in 2019, the then Acting IGP, Mohammed Adamu, vowed to withdraw escort services of the PMF from unauthorised persons but had little to show as a result.
Also, in 2023, the current IGP ordered the withdrawal of PMF personnel from VIPs with the assurance that the plan would not go unexecuted. However, the ineffectiveness of the plan has led to another promise of withdrawing PMF from VIPs in 2025.
For far too long, Nigeria’s elite have enjoyed state-funded security as a personal luxury, while everyday citizens remain exposed to kidnappers, armed robbers, and communal violence.
According to a 2023 report by SBM Intelligence, nearly 3,000 people were kidnapped across Nigeria in one year alone, with rural and low-income communities bearing the brunt.
Yet, our most combat-ready officers have often been diverted from these crime hotspots to hold shopping bags, open car doors, and guard gated mansions.
This systemic misallocation of personnel has hollowed out the PMF’s ability to respond swiftly to real threats. It is no surprise, then, that the IGP voiced concern that PMF officers were being misused in ‘non-core roles’, eroding their readiness for violent emergencies and civil unrest.
But let’s not stop at withdrawing officers from VIPs. If we are serious about reform, we must audit all police deployments to identify where personnel are truly needed versus where they serve political or economic interests.
Development Diaries calls on the IGP to publicly release a compliance report detailing how many VIPs have lost PMF protection and where those officers have been redeployed.
We also call on the police to redirect PMF and other tactical units to underserved and high-risk communities, especially rural areas disproportionately affected by kidnappings and violent crimes.
This is a chance for the Nigerian police to rebuild trust in a nation where that trust has been dangerously eroded.
Photo source: Nigeria Police Force
