President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the Minister of Interior to deploy officers of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps to replace the withdrawn police officers from special duties.
The President insisted on his earlier directive on the withdrawal of police officers currently providing security for Very Important Persons (VIPs) in the country.
The President reaffirmed his directive on Wednesday during the Federal Executive Council meeting held at the Council Chambers of the State House, Abuja.
President Tinubu further instructed the National Security Adviser and the Directorate of State Services to constitute a committee to review the existing security structure in line with his order.
“If you have any difficulty as regards security because of the nature of your assignment, contact the IGP and get my clearance, the Minister of Interior should liase with the IGP to replace those police officers who are on special security duties, so they don’t leave people… pic.twitter.com/lM2jhib93I
— Daddy D.O🇳🇬 (@DOlusegun) December 10, 2025
“I honestly believe in what I said and I call on the IGP, and I hope the minister of police affairs is here. If you have any problem of security because of the nature of the assignment, please contact the IGP and get my clearance.
“The minister of interior should liaise IGP and the Civil Defence structure to replace those police officers who are on special security duties. So that you don’t leave people exposed.
“NSA and DSS to provide further information and form themselves into the committee and review the structure.” The President added.
Acknowledging that public office holders may be exposed and may require exceptional protective measures, President Tinubu added that the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps is adequately equipped to assume such responsibilities.
He further directed the National Security Adviser to prioritise the arming and effective deployment of forest guards, emphasising that the matter should be treated with utmost seriousness.
President Tinubu emphasised that the directive must be fully implemented, citing the country’s ongoing battles against kidnapping and terrorism.
He noted that Nigeria requires the optimal deployment of all available security personnel to confront these threats.
“It should be effective. We face challenges of Kidnapping and terrorism, we need all the forces that we can utilise.
‘I know some of our people are exposed and I understand that we have to make exceptional provision for them, and civil defence are equally armed, and I want to know that from NSA to arm our forest guards too; take it very seriously.”
The Nigerian leader further called on state governors to rehabilitate existing ranches or designate specific communities for livestock resettlement.
The President added that Nigeria must eliminate the potential for conflict and transform livestock reform into a viable economic enterprise, stressing that the opportunities are clear and should be fully harnessed.
He noted that the framework already exists within the National Economic Council and that the Constitution vests land in the states.
“Especially livestock reform, I think the Vice President should get the NEC first of all to see which village or grazing reserves can be salvaged or rehabilitated into ranches or livestock settlements.
“We must eliminate the possibility of conflicts and turn the livestock reform into economically viable development. The opportunity is there; let’s utilise it.
“And it is in NEC; if we exercise the constitutional requirement which states that the land belong to the states, whichever one they can salvage, convert it to a livestock village. Let us stop this conflict area and turn it to economic opportunities and prosperity.” The President added.
The Federal Executive Council meeting currently chaired by the President started at 01:50pm with Vice President Kashim Shettima, National Security Adviser Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, Chief of Staff to the President Femi Gbajabiamila, the Representative of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, and the Representative of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.
Also present were the newly sworn-in Minister of Defence, General Christopher Gwabin Musa, Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Mr Dele Alake, and other Special Advisers to the President.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s latest directive on the withdrawal of police officers from VIP protection comes as part of a broader national push to strengthen frontline security operations and redeploy law-enforcement personnel to areas of more public need.