Contrary to earlier reports, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, has not demobilised officers attached to the MOPOL 24, Police Mobile Force (PMF) Presidential Escort at the State House, Abuja, sources told SaharaReporters.
A police memo seen by SaharaReporters confirmed that the IGP approved the redeployment of personnel attached to the Presidential Escort to various state commands across the country, rather than their demobilisation.
The directive, issued on December 16, 2025, under signal reference CH:5660/WEL/FHQ/ABJ/VOL.96 from the Department of Finance and Administration (Welfare), Force Headquarters, Abuja, instructed senior police officers to effect the redeployment of affected officers promptly. The memo, addressed to Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of Operations, Assistant Inspectors-General overseeing PMF and zonal commands, and Commissioners of Police nationwide, directed that officers previously providing close protection at the Presidential Villa return to their state commands, including Adamawa, Kebbi, and Kaduna.
However, sources clarified that the Presidential unit, MOPOL 24, remains active. “The team is currently in Lagos, with operatives stationed in hotels near President Tinubu’s residence,” a top police source told SaharaReporters. “They are still attached to the Presidential Villa but relocated to Lagos to provide security, particularly for road operations.”
President Bola Tinubu recently travelled to Lagos as part of a three-state holiday tour, spending the festive season there following visits to Borno and Bauchi. During the trip, he inaugurated federal and state projects in Borno, attended a high-profile wedding, and paid condolence visits in Bauchi to the family of the late Muslim cleric Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi.
Sources revealed that the police memo circulating in the media was strategically released to suggest that security personnel attached to President Tinubu had been withdrawn, giving the impression of compliance with the broader VIP police redeployment.
Presidential Directive
On November 23, 2025, President Tinubu instructed, during a high-level security meeting with service chiefs, that police officers assigned to VIPs should be redeployed to core policing duties. The move aimed to address escalating insecurity across the country, including kidnappings in Kebbi and Niger states, and to reduce overstretch in the police force caused by the deployment of thousands of officers to politicians, celebrities, and businessmen.
Tinubu emphasised that VIPs still requiring protection should engage personnel from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC). Additionally, he approved the recruitment of 30,000 new police officers to strengthen law enforcement nationwide.
Reactions
While the directive has been welcomed by many Nigerians as a practical measure to enhance public safety, some members of the political elite have resisted the change. Senators, including Senate President Godswill Akpabio, have raised concerns that withdrawing police escorts could compromise their ability to safely serve their constituencies amid rising insecurity.
Officials note that similar withdrawal attempts were made by previous administrations, but enforcement was largely ineffective.
