President Tinubu Orders Immediate Withdrawal of Police Escorts Attached to Ministers
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the immediate withdrawal of police escorts attached to serving ministers and other top government officials, in what appears to be a sweeping reform of security resource allocation within the Federal Government.
Presidency sources confirmed on Wednesday that the directive was issued to the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, with instructions for full compliance across all ministries and federal agencies.
Under the new order, ministers will retain only essential security detail as approved by law, while all additional police escorts—sometimes numbering dozens—are to be recalled to strengthen general policing duties nationwide.
According to senior security officials, the move is aimed at addressing the acute shortage of police personnel available for public security operations, as a significant percentage of officers have long been assigned to VIP protection.
The development comes amid rising concerns over insecurity in various parts of the country, with the Tinubu administration under pressure to enhance police visibility and response capacity.
Government insiders say the decision is also part of broader efforts to curb the misuse of state security assets, reduce cost of governance, and eliminate unnecessary privileges enjoyed by political officeholders.
It remains unclear how soon the directive will take full effect, but ministries have been notified to expect adjustments in their security arrangements.
More details are expected as the Police Force Headquarters prepares to issue an official statement on the implementation timeline.
