President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has reaffirmed his sweeping directive for the immediate withdrawal of police escorts attached to Very Important Persons (VIPs), insisting that Nigeria can no longer afford to divert frontline security manpower to private protection while national threats escalate.
Speaking during Wednesday’s Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, President Tinubu restated the order first issued in November, following reports of slow or selective compliance across key sectors. The President said the restructuring is essential to strengthen community policing and reinforce national security architecture, especially as insurgency, banditry and kidnapping continue to stretch available resources.
Under the directive, thousands of officers currently serving as VIP escorts are to be reassigned to operational deployments, boosting the Nigeria Police Force’s capacity at a time the government has approved expanded recruitment for both police and military formations.
In a related push to address one of the country’s most persistent security and economic flashpoints, President Tinubu has also directed Vice President Kashim Shettima to urgently convene an emergency National Economic Council (NEC) meeting. The session is expected to fast-track the rollout of the national ranching plan—an ambitious shift from open grazing to modern ranching systems.
The ranching plan, anchored by the Ministry of Livestock Development, seeks to tackle recurring farmer-herder clashes, enhance food security, and modernize Nigeria’s livestock economy. President Tinubu described ranching as “non-negotiable for national stability,” urging governors and traditional stakeholders to support a transition that he says will reduce violence, promote peaceful coexistence and position the sector for global competitiveness.
Wednesday’s directives form part of a broader national security overhaul, coming on the heels of fresh approvals for massive police and military recruitment—moves the administration believes will help restore public confidence, reinforce territorial security, and usher in a more disciplined, responsive security framework across the country.
