Tinubu to Ministers: No Police Escort Without My Clearance

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has reiterated his directive that ministers and other top government officials must obtain presidential clearance before they can be provided with police escorts, as part of a broader effort to reassign police personnel to frontline security duties and strengthen law-enforcement capacity nationwide.

At the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting in Abuja on Wednesday, Tinubu emphasised that the long-standing practice of assigning regular police officers to VIP protection roles should cease, and that security cover for officials should be granted only after formal approval through the Inspector-General of Police and presidential authorisation.

Tinubu said the directive to withdraw police officers from VIP and VVIP protection was not negotiable and must be put into effect immediately. “If you have any problem because of the nature of your assignment, please contact the IGP and get my clearance,” he told ministers and cabinet members, underscoring the requirement that special protection measures be coordinated through the Nigeria Police Force and sanctioned by the Presidency.

The President also reiterated that the redeployment of officers is intended to bolster responses to pressing security challenges, including kidnapping, banditry and terrorism, which continue to affect various parts of the country.

As part of the implementation, Tinubu instructed the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, to liaise with the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to arrange for appropriate security cover where police escorts have been withdrawn.

He also directed the National Security Adviser and the Department of State Services to constitute a committee to review the wider security deployment structure and ensure that law-enforcement resources are aligned with current national priorities.

The withdrawal of police escorts follows an earlier order issued by Tinubu in late November for the immediate redeployment of officers attached to individuals and institutions whose protection duties were considered non-essential to active policing and national security operations.

Officials implementing the directive have emphasised that the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps are trained and equipped to provide protective duties where needed, and that police officers should be refocused on broader community protection, patrols, investigations and emergency response.