The Force Headquarters has issued a strict nationwide warning that police officers must stop escorting VIPs, whether in plain clothes (mufti) or uniform, without proper authorization, deeming the act illegal and a violation of existing standing orders. This directive, sent via a signal from the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) in charge of Protection, re-emphasizes an earlier ban by the Inspector General of Police. The police hierarchy warned that any officer caught ignoring this order will face severe penalties. To ensure compliance, the Force Headquarters has deployed special intelligence and provost teams to all airports, specifically to arrest officers found escorting VIPs in mufti. This crackdown supports President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s mandate to withdraw police personnel from VIP duties and reassign them to core policing functions to address rising national insecurity. VIPs who require armed security are now directed to request personnel from the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) as an alternative.
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