Tinubu’s Aide Demands End to VIP Police Escorts, Calls for Private Security Reform
President Bola Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Policy and Coordination and Head of the Central Delivery Coordination Unit (CDCU), Hadiza Bala-Usman, has called for an end to the deployment of policemen as escorts and personal guards to Very Important Personalities (VIPs), insisting that such practices undermine national security.
Speaking on Thursday in Abuja at the Ministry of Interior’s performance retreat, Bala-Usman expressed concern over the diversion of officers — including elite and anti-terrorism units — from critical security duties to VIP protection.
“One of the most disturbing things for me is when VIPs arrive somewhere with so many policemen trailing them, while areas that actually need security are left unattended,” she said.
She stressed that police officers should be freed from personal guard duties to focus on combating crime and terrorism. According to her, individuals who desire armed escorts should rely on licensed private security companies rather than public resources.
“We cannot continue to deploy police trained for anti-terrorism operations just to guard individuals in Ikoyi. That is completely wrong. Whoever feels too important and wants machine gun-wielding personnel should go and hire a private security company with the necessary documentation — not take our mobile policemen,” she declared.
Bala-Usman revealed that she has personally reported cases where anti-terrorism squads were deployed for VIP duties, warning that the practice weakens Nigeria’s fight against insecurity. She further disclosed that the government is working to amend the Private Guard Companies Act to empower professional firms to take over VIP protection services.
Highlighting the availability of retired senior officers, the presidential aide proposed integrating former AIGs, DIGs, and Commissioners of Police into regulated private security outfits, which would provide professional protection services while easing the pressure on national security agencies.
“We have so many retired officers who can be mopped up into a well-regulated private security system. That way, we reduce the pressure on our overstretched agencies while still meeting demand for VIP protection,” she explained.
Bala-Usman emphasised that VIP protection should not be treated as a public entitlement but as a private service.
“VIP protection is not a right to be funded by taxpayers. It is a service that should be paid for. Our policemen must be freed to protect Nigerians at large, not just a privileged few,” she insisted.
She added that the Ministry of Interior has been tasked with fast-tracking the review of relevant legislation before the end of the third quarter of 2025, as part of broader security sector reforms.
