The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Olukayode Egbetokun, has confirmed the withdrawal of 11,566 police officers previously assigned to Very Important Personalities (VIPs), in compliance with a recent presidential directive aimed at strengthening nationwide security operations.
Speaking on Thursday during a meeting with the Force Management Team, Commissioners of Police, and other senior officers, the IGP said the withdrawal would be carried out in a systematic and strategic manner. While fully implementing the directive, he stressed the importance of ensuring that key economic stakeholders are not exposed to unnecessary security risks.
Egbetokun also instructed Commissioners of Police across the states to develop innovative and localised policing strategies tailored to their security environments in order to outmanoeuvre criminal networks.
Addressing widespread claims on social media suggesting that more than 120,000 officers were attached to private individuals, the IGP dismissed the reports as false. “These claims are lies,” he stated. “The presidential directive revealed that 11,566 officers are currently engaged in such duties.”
He noted that although similar withdrawal directives had been issued in the past, full compliance would now be ensured due to the President’s clear backing. “No governor, no friend, no family member will pressure me again. It is a presidential directive,” he said.
Egbetokun explained that redeploying over 11,000 officers back to frontline duties would significantly enhance operational capacity, particularly at a time when the force continues to grapple with manpower shortages. He added that improving officer welfare—especially for those deployed to rural or high-risk areas—remains a key priority.
The IGP emphasised that the directive is intended to boost police visibility, expand operational reach, and improve the Force’s ability to respond to emerging threats. Officers, he said, would be strategically deployed to critical locations where their presence is most needed.
The Police also cautioned the public against misinformation and attempts to politicise the directive, noting that all guidelines would be issued through official channels.
Reviewing recent achievements, Egbetokun disclosed that police commands had recorded significant successes since the last operational briefing, including the arrest of 822 suspects for offences ranging from armed robbery and kidnapping to homicide. During the same period, the Force recovered 249 firearms, 20,989 rounds of ammunition, 38 vehicles, and successfully rescued 232 kidnapped victims.
He further directed all State Commands to activate comprehensive Festive Deployment and Visibility Plans, which include expanded highway patrols, reinforced foot patrols at motor parks, anti-robbery dragnet operations, intelligence-driven rural patrols, and inter-agency collaboration to secure highways, border routes, and community travel corridors.
“Employ the use of Artificial Intelligence in your policing strategies, including drones and other technical assets,” he ordered. “Let this festive period be defined by public safety, policing dominance, citizen confidence, and crime suppression — not fear.”
