The Inspector-General of Police ( IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, has confirmed the withdrawal of 11,566 officers previously assigned to VIP protection and special beats across the country, following President Bola Tinubu’s directive issued on 23 November.
Speaking to journalists in Abuja on Thursday, Egbetokun said the officers had been returned to frontline policing duties as part of a renewed effort to strengthen operational capacity nationwide.
He stressed that the move was aimed at improving security delivery, not shirking responsibility.
The IGP dismissed social media claims that more than 120,000 officers were attached to private individuals.
“These claims are lies. How many police officers do we even have in Nigeria? The presidential directive revealed that 11,566 officers are currently engaged in such duties,” he said.
He insisted that similar orders had been issued in the past but argued that the President’s explicit backing would ensure compliance this time.
“No governor, no friend, no family member will pressure me again. It is a presidential directive,” he said.
Egbetokun asserted that redeploying the officers would help address manpower shortages, boost visibility and improve the force’s response to emerging threats.
Welfare, he added, would remain a priority, particularly for those sent to rural or high-risk areas.
He said the personnel would be strategically posted to locations where their presence was most needed, warning against attempts to politicise the directive.
Implementation guidelines, he added, would be issued through official channels.
Providing an update on recent operations, the IGP said police commands had made notable breakthroughs since the last briefing, with 822 suspects arrested for offences including kidnapping, robbery and homicide.
Recovered items included 249 firearms, 20,989 rounds of ammunition and 38 vehicles, and a total of 232 kidnapped victims were also rescued.
With the festive season approaching, the force expects increased travel and a potential spike in crime.
Egbetokun said nationwide deployment plans had already been activated, covering reinforced highway patrols, intelligence-led operations, surveillance drones and joint security deployments along major routes and border corridors.
On school safety, he said the School Protection Squad “remains active” and had foiled several attempted attacks despite recent incidents.
“One attack is bad enough. We will not rest until every vulnerable community is protected,” he said.
The IGP added that a thorough investigation had been ordered into a recent school security breach and urged the public not to overlook the force’s day-to-day arrests and recovery efforts.
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