Premium News
The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has confirmed that a total of 11,566 Police officers attached to private citizens across the country have been recalled.
The IGP gave the confirmation on Thursday while speaking at a meeting with strategic police officers in Abuja.
Egbetokun added that the withdrawn personnel would be redeployed to various states of the federation to beef up security.
He noted that the withdrawal of police personnel on guard duty with private citizens would be done in phases.
The action is in compliance with the directive of President Bola Tinubu.
It would be recalled that President Tinubu had directed the immediate withdrawal of police officers attached to Very Important Persons across the country, in a major shake-up of security deployment.
According to a statement issued on Sunday by Presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, the directive formed part of resolutions reached during the President’s high-level security meeting with Service Chiefs in Abuja.
Onanuga said the move is aimed at restoring the police to their “core duties” and improving their presence in communities grappling with insecurity.
Under the new arrangement, VIPs seeking armed security escorts must now apply to the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
