The Special Protection Unit (SPU) in the police has orderedall officers attached to VIPs and beats nationwide to return “back to base”. On November 23, President Bola Tinubu ordered the immediatewithdrawal of police officers attached to VIPs across the country. In a memo signed by Neji Veronica, commanding officer of theSPU Base 16 in Lagos, and shared by the presidency on X, all affected officerswere instructed to return before the close of business on November 24. The commanding officer said the order is effectiveimmediately and must be strictly complied with. “Sequel to the directive of Mr President and C-in-C of thearmed forces on the withdrawal of Police personnel attached to VIPs, theCommanding Officer directs with immediate effect the withdrawal of allpersonnel of SPU Base 16 attached to VIPs/Beats across the federation back toBase,” the statement reads. “You are all warned to report back before the end of todayMonday, 24/11/2025 and all to attend the Lecture Parade tomorrow. Attendanceshall be taken from the nominal roll. “This is for your information and strict compliance.” The president had said under the new arrangement, VIPs whorequire security protection will be expected to request armed personnel fromthe Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), rather than the police. The presidency stated that the move is aimed at boostingpolice presence in communities, especially remote areas where stations areunderstaffed and citizens remain vulnerable to attacks. “Many parts of Nigeria, especially remote areas, have fewpolicemen at the stations, thus making the task of protecting and defending thepeople difficult,” the statement from the presidency had read, noting thatTinubu wants officers “to concentrate on their core police duties”. To reinforce the new push, Tinubu has also approved therecruitment of 30,000 police officers nationwide, “with plans underway toupgrade training facilities in collaboration with state governments”.
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