The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, has announced the withdrawal and redeployment of 11,566 police officers previously assigned to VIP protection and special duties across the country.
The move follows a directive issued by President Bola Tinubu on November 23, 2025.
Speaking during a press briefing in Abuja on Thursday, Egbetokun said the officers have now been reassigned to core policing roles to enhance nationwide security operations.
He stressed that the directive signals a stronger push to improve frontline policing and does not amount to abandoning the force’s obligations.
Responding to viral claims that more than 120,000 officers were assigned to private individuals, the IGP dismissed the reports as misleading.
“These claims are simply untrue. How many officers do we even have in Nigeria?” he said.
“The presidential directive has shown clearly that 11,566 officers were attached to VIPs.”
Egbetokun added that although similar instructions were issued in previous administrations, the backing of the President ensures there will be no interference this time.
“No governor, no friend, no family member will pressure me again,” he said.
“It is a presidential directive.”
According to the police chief, the redeployment will significantly strengthen the force’s operational capacity, particularly at a time when manpower shortages remain a major challenge.
“With more than 11,000 officers returning to active field duties, our presence, response time, and overall visibility will improve,” he explained.
He assured that officers deployed to high-risk and rural areas would receive appropriate welfare support.
The directive, he said, is aimed at expanding capacity, improving visibility, and enhancing the police force’s ability to tackle emerging security threats.
Egbetokun cautioned against efforts to misrepresent or politicise the directive, noting that all guidelines on the redeployment process would be issued through official channels.
The IGP also highlighted several operational successes recorded since the last briefing.
These include: 822 suspects arrested for offences such as kidnapping, robbery, and homicide, 249 firearms and 20,989 rounds of ammunition recovered, 38 vehicles seized and 232 kidnapped victims rescued
With the holiday season approaching, the IGP announced enhanced nationwide operations featuring Reinforced highway patrols, Intelligence-led raids, Use of surveillance drones and Joint operations with other security agencies across major roads and border areas.
Speaking on recent school-related security concerns, Egbetokun disclosed that the School Protection Squad remains active and has prevented multiple attacks.Education
“One attack is one too many,” he said.
“We will not relent until every vulnerable community is adequately protected.”
He added that an investigation into the most recent school security breach is underway.
