Greenlights 30,000 New Officer Recruits to Bolster Community Security
ABUJA – President Bola Tinubu issued a directive Sunday for the immediate withdrawal of police officers assigned to Very Important Persons (VIPs) across Nigeria, redirecting them to frontline community policing amid escalating insecurity.
The order, announced by Special Adviser on Information and Strategy Bayo Onanuga, stems from a high-level security summit in Abuja attended by service chiefs—including Chief of Army Staff Lt. Gen. Waidi Shaibu and Chief of Air Staff—along with Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun and Department of State Services Director-General.
Tinubu, voicing alarm over sparse police coverage in rural and remote areas, emphasized redeploying these personnel to “core police duties” to enhance public safety and rebuild trust in law enforcement. “Many parts of Nigeria, especially remote areas, have few policemen at the stations, thus making the task of protecting and defending the people difficult,” Onanuga’s statement noted.
To amplify the Nigeria Police Force’s capacity, the President approved the recruitment of **30,000 additional officers**, with the federal government partnering states to modernize and expand training facilities nationwide. This infusion aims to address chronic manpower shortages and fortify grassroots security amid banditry, kidnappings, and insurgency threats.
The move signals a broader push under Tinubu’s administration to prioritize citizen protection over elite safeguards, potentially reshaping VIP security protocols—possibly shifting them to agencies like the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC). Analysts hail it as a pragmatic reform, though implementation challenges, including logistics and potential elite pushback, loom large.
As the directive takes effect, security experts urge swift execution to stem recent abductions, including those in Borno and Niger State, underscoring the urgency of Tinubu’s “I will not rest” vow to crush nationwide insecurity.
