The Nigerian Police Force (NPF) has issued a nationwide directive ordering the immediate arrest of any officer found providing personal security to Very Important Persons (VIPs) outside officially approved duties, in strict compliance with a recent presidential order.
Thus, a confidential police wireless message dated November 30, 2025, and signed by Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun, has been dispatched to senior officers across all police formations.
The memo addressed to specialized units such as the Mobile Police Force, the VIP Protection Unit, the Counter-Terrorism Unit, and all State and area commands, explicitly directed that any officer caught escorting a VIP without authorization must be immediately arrested.
The directive also issued a stern warning to supervising officers.
“Following the presidential directive to withdraw, all states are to arrest any police officer found escorting any VIP in your Area of Responsibility. Disciplinary actions will also be activated against any erring supervising officer,” the memo stated.
Enforcement of the order has been assigned exclusively to the Compol X-Squads and the IGPMU, which are expected to strictly monitor compliance across all commands. The document was marked “Very Important,” signaling that the instruction is final and requires immediate execution without further reminders.
This internal police directive follows a presidential order issued on Sunday, November 23, 2025, by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. During a high-level security meeting in Abuja attended by the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Waidi Shaibu; Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke; Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun; and the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Tosin Adeola Ajayi—the President directed the immediate withdrawal and redeployment of police officers from VIP security duty so they can refocus on core policing responsibilities.