Shehu Sani Reacts After President Tinubu Orders Immediate Withdrawal Of Police Guarding All VIPs

Shehu Sani, former Kaduna Central Senator, has reacted to President Bola Tinubu’s directive ordering the withdrawal of police officers assigned to Very Important Persons, VIPs, describing the move as commendable but likely to be ineffective, Daily Post reports

In a post on X on Sunday, Sani acknowledged that the policy aligns with the country’s urgent security concerns. However, he voiced doubts about its execution, cautioning that it might “begin and end up as a statement.”

He said: “Withdrawal of Police from VIPs is a good idea and good policy statement in view of the nation’s urgent security needs, but it will only begin and end up as a statement.”

Sani recalled that similar directives by previous administrations failed to materialise due to entrenched interests within the police hierarchy and among political elites who depend heavily on police escorts.

Earlier, President Tinubu ordered the immediate withdrawal of police officers attached to VIPs across the country.

President Tinubu issues the directive on Sunday during a security briefing at the State House, attended by the inspector-general of police, military chiefs, and the DSS director-general.

A statement from Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, revealed that the reassigned officers would be deployed to frontline policing roles within local communities.

Under the new arrangement, VIPs requiring security escorts must now turn to the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) instead of the police.

The presidency clarified that the move aims to boost law enforcement visibility in underserved and rural areas, where police presence is often minimal and residents face elevated security threats.

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