By Mohammed Bello Doka
The Anambra State Police Command has confirmed the arrival of a Special Enforcement Team from the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Monitoring Unit, deployed to implement the directive withdrawing police officers from escort and guard duties for Very Important Persons (VIPs) in the state.
Commissioner of Police, Ikioye Orutugu, received the team at the command headquarters in Awka on Monday, December 8, stressing that the exercise is part of nationwide reforms ordered by IGP Kayode Egbetokun to free more personnel for core policing. He said the withdrawal is expected to “strengthen public policing, improve response capacity, and ensure that more officers are available for core duties across Anambra State.”
In a statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, the command pledged full cooperation with the monitoring unit and announced that additional officers from the state command would be attached to the visiting team to aid enforcement. All Area Commanders, Divisional Police Officers and heads of tactical units have been directed to provide logistical and operational support to ensure a “seamless and transparent” exercise.
The command urged all affected individuals, corporate organisations and VIPs to comply fully with the directive, describing it as a national security measure rather than a targeted move against any group or person.
Part of a Nationwide Policy Shift
The enforcement in Anambra follows the launch of a Special Enforcement Team by the Nigeria Police Force to ensure full compliance with President Bola Tinubu’s directive prohibiting the use of police personnel for VIP escort and guard duties.
The team first commenced monitoring in Lagos on December 6, checking key locations such as the Lekki–Ikoyi Link Bridge and the domestic wing of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport. According to the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, initial checks in Lagos showed “satisfactory and commendable” compliance, with no unauthorised police escorts observed.
Presidential aide Bayo Onanuga had earlier explained that, under the new policy, VIPs who genuinely require armed protection will be assigned operatives from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), while police personnel are redeployed to frontline crime-fighting and community policing roles.
Anambra is among the first states to formally receive the IGP’s monitoring unit since the directive was issued, a move seen as a signal that the police high command intends to pursue implementation “without fear or favour” across the federation.
Key Questions and What We Know So Far
Who is affected?
The directive targets police officers assigned to escort and guard duties for VIPs, including politicians, business elites, traditional rulers, religious leaders and some corporate executives. Details of any exemptions have not been fully published, but authorities have indicated that only those with a clearly documented security risk will be considered for alternative protection via the NSCDC.
What happens to the withdrawn officers?
According to police and presidency statements, the officers are to be redeployed to regular policing — patrols, response units, investigations and protection of “soft targets” such as schools, worship centres and public facilities that have come under repeated attacks in recent years.
How will VIPs get security?
The presidential directive states that VIP protection will, going forward, be handled mainly by the NSCDC, not the police. This is meant to separate public-order policing from private protection and free up police manpower. However, operational details, including how many NSCDC personnel are available and what criteria will be used to assign them, have not been fully disclosed.
Is this permanent?
Officials have framed the measure as part of long-term police reforms and manpower optimisation rather than a temporary action, but no specific timeframe or review mechanism has been announced.
Possible Positive Implications
Security experts and civic advocates who support the policy say it could have several potential benefits if implemented fairly and consistently:
More officers on the streets: Thousands of police personnel currently attached to VIP convoys could be redeployed to regular patrols, anti-kidnapping units and quick-response teams, potentially improving presence in underserved communities and rural areas.
Stronger protection for public spaces: The directive was issued after repeated attacks on schools, churches and other soft targets; more available officers could help secure these locations and deter mass-casualty attacks.
Professionalisation of the police: Removing officers from VIP “bodyguard” work and returning them to statutory duties may curb the perception that the police primarily serve the powerful rather than ordinary citizens.
Reduced abuse and impunity: Critics have long complained that police escorts attached to VIP convoys are sometimes involved in road bullying, illegal road closures and misuse of firearms. A reduction in such convoys could cut these abuses.
Risks, Fears and Negative Side
However, analysts and rights groups also warn that the policy could create new problems or worsen existing ones if not carefully managed:
Security gaps for high-risk figures: Some judges, anti-corruption investigators, journalists, activists and opposition politicians face real threats. If police escorts are withdrawn without effective NSCDC replacement, they could become more vulnerable to attacks or targeted violence.
Uneven or politicised enforcement: There are concerns that enforcement teams might act more aggressively against perceived opponents of the government, while politically connected allies quietly retain de facto police protection. Such selective application would reinforce accusations that security policy is being used as a political tool rather than a neutral reform.
Possibility of using the policy to pressure dissenters: Human rights advocates caution that the withdrawal or denial of lawful protection could be weaponised against outspoken critics — for example, opposition figures, labour leaders or activists — by stripping them of police escorts while leaving them exposed to harassment or security risks. They insist that any decisions affecting such individuals be based on transparent, objective criteria and subject to review, to avoid turning a security reform into a subtle form of political punishment.
Strain on NSCDC capacity: Transferring VIP protection to the civil defence corps without significantly boosting its funding, training and equipment could overstretch the agency and reduce the quality of protection for both VIPs and critical infrastructure.
Internal resistance within the police: VIP duty has long been viewed as more lucrative and less risky than regular patrols. Quiet resistance, lobbying for exemptions or attempts to maintain unofficial escort arrangements could undermine the reform unless there is strong oversight and sanctions for non-compliance.
Calls for Transparency and Oversight
Civil society groups and legal practitioners are already calling for clear guidelines on who qualifies for state-provided armed protection, what role the courts and legislature should play in oversight, and how citizens can report breaches, such as illegal police escorts still attached to private individuals.
They argue that for the Anambra enforcement — and the wider national exercise — to gain public trust, the police must provide regular updates on:
how many officers have been withdrawn from VIP duties;
how many have been redeployed to public policing;
what safeguards exist to prevent selective withdrawal aimed at silencing dissent; and
how complaints about non-compliance or abuse by enforcement teams will be handled.
For now, the arrival of the IGP’s enforcement team in Anambra marks a visible step in implementing a controversial but far-reaching shift in Nigeria’s policing structure. Whether it delivers better security for ordinary citizens — without becoming a backdoor instrument for political control — will depend on how transparently and fairly the policy is implemented in the weeks and months ahead.
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