The Federal Government has ordered the immediate withdrawal and redeployment of officers of the Nigeria Police Force previously assigned to VIP escort duties across the country.
The directive, announced on Friday by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, signals a strategic shift from the protection of private individuals to strengthening public safety and community policing.
“Further strengthening the security architecture, the Nigeria Police Force has executed a large-scale redeployment of officers previously assigned to VIP escort duties nationwide,” the minister said.
Idris explained that the move was aimed at addressing longstanding concerns over the use of police personnel for private protection while many communities continue to grapple with insecurity.
“This latest large-scale redeployment seeks to rectify that imbalance by returning thousands of officers to their primary mission: community policing,” he stated.
According to him, the affected officers have already been integrated into frontline security structures across key states. States expected to witness an immediate boost in security presence include Kwara, Plateau, Benue, Kogi, Nasarawa, Niger and the Federal Capital Territory.
The minister also disclosed that security has been reinforced around places of worship.
“Security has also been strengthened around places of worship, including increased visible presence around churches during Sunday services, in coordination with community and faith leaders,” he added.
The decision followed a deadly terrorist attack in Kwara State, where gunmen reportedly killed at least 75 villagers. The attackers were said to have struck the Woro community and the neighbouring Nuku area in Kwara North around 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, burning shops, setting the residence of a traditional ruler ablaze and forcing residents to flee.
Idris stated that President Bola Tinubu’s counter-terrorism strategy remains locally driven, though the government is open to strategic cooperation with international partners in areas such as intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance where it aligns with national interests.
The Northern States Governors’ Forum condemned the killings in Kwara, Katsina and Benue states, describing the attacks as barbaric and senseless. Kwara State Governor Abdulrahman AbdulRazaq also described the incident as a massacre and confirmed that the victims had been buried.
In response to the violence, President Tinubu has ordered the deployment of an army battalion to Kwara State to reinforce security operations and prevent further attacks.
