Nigeria has begun withdrawing police officers assigned to politicians, business elites and private individuals after a new presidential directive instructed the Inspector General of Police to immediately scale back VIP security privileges and redeploy personnel to public law enforcement.

The move signals a significant shift in Nigeria’s long-criticised policing structure, where thousands of officers have historically been diverted to protect influential individuals instead of patrolling communities. The policy change has triggered celebration in some quarters and skepticism in others, as debates intensify over whether the reform will improve public safety or simply be ignored like past attempts.

Across major cities including Abuja, Lagos, Kaduna and Port Harcourt, officers attached to prominent figures began receiving withdrawal notifications early this week. Senior police sources told Punch NG that the directive is tied to the government’s push to reorganise policing resources amid rising nationwide insecurity.

President Bola Tinubu reportedly expressed concerns that too many law enforcement personnel had been absorbed into private protection duties while states continue to face waves of kidnapping, rural banditry, highway attacks and urban crime spikes. The new directive instructs the Police Service Commission and the Nigeria Police Force to conduct an immediate audit of officers providing VIP protection, verify eligibility, and return non-essential personnel to operational units.

One senior official described the move as overdue. “It has been an open secret that our officers are overstretched. A large number were attending to individuals rather than the public. This new directive is meant to correct that imbalance,” the source told reporters.

Police protection for VIPs in Nigeria has long been controversial. Wealthy individuals routinely secure mobile police officers, state-funded escorts and armoured patrols, creating a tiered security system where ordinary citizens face rising vulnerability while privileged groups enjoy government-sponsored protection. Reform advocates have argued for years that reallocating even a fraction of these officers could meaningfully strengthen community policing and emergency response capacity.

The directive attempts to address this by tightening eligibility. Only government officials with constitutional entitlement to security details, certain judicial officers, and others classified as high-risk due to the nature of their jobs will retain police protection. Private individuals, business owners, and political associates without formal justification are expected to lose their details in the coming weeks.

But implementation remains the biggest challenge. Previous administrations issued similar orders that faded without substantial enforcement. Analysts note that Nigeria’s VIP-security culture is deeply entrenched, influenced by political patronage and a longstanding belief that personal safety is unreliable without armed escorts.

Security experts say that for the policy to succeed, the government must ensure transparency in the vetting process and enforce penalties for officers or VIPs who attempt to circumvent the rules. A former police commissioner argued that without strict oversight, officers could be quietly reassigned back to private individuals through unofficial arrangements.

Public reaction has been mixed. Many Nigerians have welcomed the development, describing it as a necessary rebalancing of national priorities. Others fear it may trigger a sudden rush for private military contractors or armed vigilante groups, especially among individuals who had grown dependent on state-provided protection.

There are also concerns about the capacity of the police to effectively absorb and retrain the returning officers. With insecurity stretching across multiple regions, simply increasing manpower in theory does not guarantee improved results unless operational strategy, equipment, welfare and accountability structures are strengthened.

Still, security analysts say the move could offer tangible improvements if coupled with broader reforms. Redirecting officers to patrol units, tactical squads and rural response teams would boost visibility and deterrence at a time when kidnapping incidents and attacks on farmers and commuters remain at alarming levels.

It also underscores a broader conversation about fairness. Nigerians have long criticised the system where public officers escort convoys of private individuals while ordinary citizens remain exposed. By withdrawing personnel from VIP assignments, the government signals an attempt to restore equity in state resource allocation.

Whether the reform endures will depend on enforcement. The Police Service Commission said it is committed to full implementation, but observers caution that political influence could weaken the effort once public scrutiny fades. Nigeria’s policing challenges, from funding gaps to operational strain, remain complex and will require sustained policy discipline beyond symbolic announcements.

For now, the country watches closely. The withdrawal marks one of the most significant policing adjustments in recent years, one that could reshape public trust if executed properly. In a nation grappling with evolving security threats, every officer returned to frontline duty matters.