The directive by the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) to withdraw officers attached to private individuals and VIPs has reportedly been undermined, with many officers allegedly returning to duty through disguises, bribery, and administrative loopholes.
Credible sources revealed that several officers affected by the withdrawal order have continued providing security services by disguising themselves in the uniforms of vigilante groups and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
“Police officers are now wearing vigilante and NSCDC uniforms to bypass the withdrawal order,” a police source disclosed.
The withdrawal directive, issued by President Bola Tinubu to the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, required officers assigned to private protection duties to return to their commands and surrender their service rifles for redeployment to core policing responsibilities.
However, reports indicate that many of the surrendered firearms were subsequently reissued to the same officers after payments reportedly reaching as high as ₦500,000, enabling them to resume their former duties under informal arrangements.
“Officers were ordered to submit their rifles, only to receive the same weapons back after paying ₦500,000. They then returned to work as usual,” another source said.
Further revelations suggest that some officers have adopted alternative appearances to avoid detection, including dressing in corporate suits and operating as private drivers for VIPs while still offering armed protection.
“Some police guards now work as private drivers in suits. In reality, most of them never stopped providing security,” a source added.
Although the Inspector-General of Police reportedly set up a monitoring team to enforce compliance, insiders claim the enforcement exercise has been largely cosmetic.
“A few officers were arrested to give the impression of enforcement, but they were quickly released,” a source alleged.
According to multiple accounts, the withdrawal policy has failed to significantly reduce the deployment of police officers to private individuals. Instead, it is alleged to have primarily benefited senior officers, while the practice it aimed to eliminate continues almost unchanged.
“This VIP police withdrawal has achieved nothing. It has only enriched senior officers while the system remains the same,” another source claimed.
