Nigeria’s Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, has ordered the immediate withdrawal of Police Mobile Force (PMF) officers from unauthorized VIP protection duties, signaling a major shift in national policing priorities. The directive, issued as part of a broader restructuring within the PMF, aims to reallocate personnel to critical security zones across the country, particularly in areas plagued by violent crime, terrorism, and banditry.
According to a statement from police headquarters, the decision affects mobile units attached to individuals or organizations lacking official clearance. Only VIPs with security details sanctioned by the Force Headquarters will retain their escorts. IGP Egbetokun emphasized that the redeployment is intended to “restore the core responsibilities” of the PMF, originally established to serve as Nigeria’s elite tactical and rapid response unit. He noted that decades of misuse—particularly the widespread deployment of PMF operatives to guard politicians, business tycoons, and private individuals—have stretched police resources thin and weakened frontline security efforts.
“The Police Mobile Force was not created to serve as private bodyguards,” Egbetokun said. “We are refocusing the Force to tackle growing insecurity, support regular police units, and secure communities in distress.” The withdrawal is expected to free up thousands of officers, who will be redeployed to states facing security threats, including the North-East (battling Boko Haram), the North-West (rife with banditry and kidnapping), and parts of the South (experiencing unrest and cult-related violence).
Civil society groups and security analysts have praised the move as a long-overdue reform, though some have expressed concerns about enforcement and pushback from politically connected beneficiaries of unauthorized police protection. The police chief assured Nigerians that internal monitoring units have been tasked with ensuring compliance and penalizing defaulters. The reforms, he said, are key to restoring public trust in the police and ensuring a more efficient, people-centered approach to national security.
