Reform: Tinubu orders withdrawal of policemen from VIPs

President Bola Tinubu has ordered the withdrawal of police operatives serving as security aides to prominent Nigerians.

The Minister of State for Police Affairs, Hajia Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, who disclosed this at a two-day management retreat in Abuja on Monday, said the ministry would implement the president’s directive on the withdrawal of police officers from VIPs and development of a community policing strategy, amongst others.

The president’s directive came a few months after the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, ordered the withdrawal of mobile police officers from VIPs.

Egbetokun, who gave the directive at a meeting with police tactical commanders in Abuja on June 23, said the Force would conduct an assessment of all duties of mobile police to ensure effective utilization.

At the retreat, Suleiman-Ibrahim said the ministry would align its efforts with the president’s vision of a renewed and highly effective police in the country.

She said: “The Police Inspectorate Department, in particular, should evolve its operations to focus on robust monitoring, evaluation, accountability, and learning. Reports must be factual, practical, and evidence-based, and serve as critical tools for enhancing police performance.

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“It must champion the review of the curriculum of the training institutions to ensure they are reflective of the evolving landscape of law enforcement, incorporating contemporary practices and international standards.

“The key mandates of the Ministry of Police Affairs are developing and implementing a harmonised police reform report, amending the Police Act, executing Mr. President’s directive on the withdrawal of police personnel from VIP security duties, and developing a community policing strategy.

“These mandates are not mere tasks but transformative initiatives that can enhance internal security in Nigeria.

“The Nigeria Police Force finds itself at a critical juncture and currently struggling with the consequences of decades of neglect that have hindered its ability to fulfill its constitutional mandate.

“The ministry of Police Affairs has also not been spared. However, given Mr. President’s commitment to reforming the Nigeria Police Force, the Ministry is now positioned at the forefront of the Police transformation agenda, and it must rise to the challenge.

“The ministry must bear this weighty responsibility of ensuring coordination and creating the enabling frameworks to steer the Nigeria Police Force towards improved technical and operational effectiveness.”

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