A special team of police officers, on Saturday, embarked on a monitoring exercise in strategic parts of the country to ensure compliance with the recent presidential directive on the withdrawal of police escorts from Very Important Personalities (VIPs).
The squad, which was set up by Police Inspector General Kayode Egbetokun, monitored compliance at the Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge, Lagos, the Domestic Wing of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Ikeja, and several other strategic points.
Force Public Relations Officer Benjamin Hundeyin said in a statement that the exercise “revealed a satisfactory and commendable level of compliance by officers and men of the Nigeria Police Force.”
According to him, “No case of unauthorised deployment of police personnel for VIP escort duties was recorded during the monitoring, and consequently, no arrest was made.”
He quoted IGP Egbetokun as saying that the police remain committed to the full implementation of the presidential directive.
He added: “The Nigeria Police Force remains resolute in redeploying its personnel to core policing duties aimed at enhancing general security, crime prevention, and protection of lives and property across the country.
“Members of the public are assured that the Nigeria Police Force will continue to enforce this policy nationwide without fear or favour and urges continued support as the Force works towards a more professional, efficient, and citizen-centred policing system.”
The Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Protection, Force Headquarters, Abuja (AIG PROTECT FHQ), in a wireless message to all Police Protection Units across the federation last week, warned police officers against escorting Very Important Persons (VIPs), in mufti or uniform, without authorisation, describing the act as illegal and a clear violation of standing orders.
The signal, referenced CB: 4001/DOPS/SPU/FHQ/ABJ/VOL.20, drew attention to the earlier directive of the Inspector General of Police withdrawing personnel from unauthorised VIP escorts and banning officers from such duties in plain clothes.
“It has been observed that men still follow VIPs in mufti in disregard of this order. Officers and men are to desist henceforth, as anybody caught will be dealt with accordingly,” the AIG said.
The signal was copied to all Zonal and State Police Commands, the FCT Command, and various Police Formations and Special Units, with instructions to acknowledge receipt and treat the directive as urgent and important.
President Bola Tinubu ordered the withdrawal of all police escorts from VIPs on November 23.
He said all such withdrawn officers should be deployed for core police duties as part of the efforts to beef up security across the country.
According to the Presidential directive, VIPs who want police protection will now request well-armed personnel from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.
