FG Redeploys 100,000 Police Officers Amid Rising Terror Threats

By: Aremu Toyeebaht

President Bola Tinubu has ordered the withdrawal of an estimated 100,000 police officers currently assigned to Very Important Persons (VIPs) and politically exposed individuals, directing their redeployment to core policing duties and counter-insurgency operations nationwide.

The directive, issued during a high-level security meeting on Sunday in Abuja, was attended by Service Chiefs, the Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun, and the Director-General of the Department of State Services, Tosin Adeola Ajayi.

A statement by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, explained, “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered the withdrawal of police officers currently providing security for VIPs in the country. Henceforth, police authorities will deploy them to concentrate on their core police duties. In view of the current security challenges facing the country, President Tinubu is desirous of boosting police presence in all communities.”

The redeployment aims to address long-standing deficits in community policing, as only 371,800 officers serve Nigeria’s 236.7 million population, according to a November 2025 report by the European Union Agency for Asylum. Security analysts have repeatedly highlighted that the diversion of police personnel to VIP protection has undermined crime prevention and rapid response capabilities, particularly in remote areas.

VIP protection responsibilities will now be transferred to armed operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), while the Federal Government has approved the recruitment of 30,000 additional police officers and is collaborating with states to upgrade police training facilities nationwide.

The announcement follows recent security lapses, including the withdrawal of troops guarding St. Mary Private Primary and Secondary Schools in Papiri, Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State, shortly before armed men abducted dozens of schoolgirls. Defence authorities have confirmed that redeployment patterns are under urgent review to prevent future gaps.