The instruction, dated January 27, 2026, and communicated via a wireless message to multiple commands including Kano, Lagos, Yola, Makurdi, Port Harcourt, Abuja, Enugu, and other major cities, emphasises that the order is urgent and must be treated as very important.
The Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), Force Headquarters Abuja, has issued a directive instructing that officers assigned to VIP and regular patrol duties across the country remain on standby and should not be posted out or granted leave under any circumstances.
The instruction, dated January 27, 2026, and communicated via a wireless message to multiple commands including Kano, Lagos, Yola, Makurdi, Port Harcourt, Abuja, Enugu, and other major cities, emphasises that the order is urgent and must be treated as very important.
According to the message, the directive supersedes previous instructions and is to ensure that officers on beats and VIP protection remain fully deployed while awaiting further orders from the Force Headquarters.
The communication, signed off by AIG Police PROTECT, FHQ Abuja, highlights the heightened focus on security readiness and the protection of key personnel, signaling a nationwide security alert requiring officers’ immediate and continuous deployment.
“AIGPOL Protect directs that on no account men withdrawn from beats/VIP yours be posted out or granted leave for any reason. They are to remain on standby while awaiting for further directive. Treat as very important,” the message said.
On November 23, 2025, President Tinubu issued a sweeping order for the immediate withdrawal of police officers assigned to VIPs and government officials.
The rationale was to redirect manpower to frontline policing, especially in areas plagued by banditry, kidnappings, and violent crimes. Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, confirmed the directive publicly, emphasising the need to prioritise national security over personal escorts.
Following the directive, IGP Kayode Egbetokun announced that 11,566 police personnel had been withdrawn from VIP duties nationwide.
These officers were reportedly redeployed to critical policing roles, reinforcing security presence in vulnerable communities.
Egbetokun clarified that claims circulating on social media about 120,000 officers attached to VIPs were false, stressing that the redeployment was a strategic move, not an abandonment of responsibility.
To ensure compliance, the IGP issued a wireless signal on November 30, 2025, directing all police commands and specialised units to enforce the withdrawal.
He ordered the arrest of any officer found providing unauthorised escort services to VIPs, signaling a strict stance against defaulters.
Despite Tinubu’s directive, the IGP later approved exemptions for officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), allowing them to retain police escorts.