President Tinubu
Don’t go back on withdrawal of police escorts from VIPs, Nigerians tell Tinubu
A cross-section of Nigerians have said the withdrawal of police details from Very Important Persotnalities, VIPs, in the country by President Bola Tinubu is in order.
Only recently, President Tinubu ordered the Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, to withdraw all police escorts from VIPs in order to beef up the fight against insecurity in the country.
A security expert, Dr. Victor Mathew, praised President Bola Tinubu’s decision to withdraw police escorts from some prominent figures, urging the President not to reverse the policy.
Matthew, Executive Director of the Kingdom Advocacy Network, argued that Nigeria is under-policed and that deploying officers to protect elites at the expense of the general public is unsustainable.
“The VIPs are selfish and feel their lives are more important,” Matthew stated, emphasizing that the police should be redeployed to tackle widespread insecurity.
He suggested that the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) could provide protection for those who genuinely need it.
This stance was supported by other commentators. Apostle Dr. Bolaji Akinyemi stated that security cannot improve if VIP protection is treated as a birthright while ordinary citizens remain unguarded.
He pointed to the irony of the President’s son moving with heavy security while police are withdrawn from politicians, calling for equality in access to security.
Professor John Ebhomien of the All Progressives Congress also endorsed the move, describing it as a necessary strategy to combat kidnapping, banditry, and terrorism.
He dismissed calls for a policy review as “unpatriotic and unacceptable.”
President Tinubu has insisted the decision is final and directed the Minister of Interior to coordinate alternative security arrangements using agencies like the NSCDC.
Further support came from Bishop Herbert Ekechukwu, who criticized a political culture that favors the powerful. He noted that many large communities lack any police presence, while a single individual might have dozens of escorts.
Comrade Aluh Moses Odeh, National Leader of the All Middle Belt Youth Forum, called the decision a bold step toward equitable security, urging VIPs to build community ties for safety instead of relying solely on state protection.
All commentators agreed that the policy is a positive shift toward prioritizing the security of all Nigerians over a privileged few.
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