PAST WITHDRAWAL PRONOUNCEMENTS (2003-2025)
1. Tafa Balogun (IGP, 2003)
In 2003, IGP Mustafa Adebayo Balogun ordered withdrawal of police orderlies from judges and politicians.
Later, there was a reversal: he ordered the return of some police aides to judges.
2. *Ogbonnaya Onovo (IGP, ~2009)
* When he became IGP around 2009, Onovo ordered all police personnel attached as private orderlies to individuals (politicians, private persons) to go back to their bases.
* He argued many of the security details were not legally sanctioned.
3. *Hafiz Ringim (IGP, ~2010)
* Issued caution to police officers guarding “unauthorized individuals,” telling them to return to their bases or face consequences.
* He even set up a special monitoring unit to enforce this.
4. *Mohammed Abubakar (IGP, ~2012)
* Abubakar cancelled/withdrew “all approved police guards” for *private individuals* and corporate bodies.
* His rationale: to redirect police resources to more critical security and public duties.
5. *Solomon Arase (IGP, ~2016)*
* Arase said policemen serving as “orderlies” (meaning personal security for VIPs) should be withdrawn and redeployed to more “sensitive” posts.
6. *Ibrahim Idris (IGP, 2018)*
* In March 2018, Idris ordered the withdrawal of all police officers attached to political office holders, VIPs, and other prominent individuals.
* He also said holders of special “police spy” number plates should return them for re-validation.
7. *Mohammed Adamu (IGP, 2020)*
* After the #EndSARS protests, IGP Adamu ordered withdrawal of police officers from VIPs, though he *exempted* very high-level offices (government houses, Senate President, Speaker).
* This was seen as part of a broader push to refocus the police on its core mandate.
8. *Kayode Egbetokun (IGP, 2023 and 2025)*
* In July 2023, Egbetokun ordered the withdrawal of Mobile Police Force (PMF) personnel from ex-governors, ex-ministers, and other VIPs.
* More recently (April 2025), he again ordered the immediate withdrawal of PMF officers from “unauthorized deployments,” citing a need to reposition the PMF to its “original mandate.”
9. *President Muhammadu Buhari (2015)*
* In August 2015, President Buhari directed that over 130,000 police personnel attached to “unauthorized persons and VIPs” should be withdrawn and redeployed.
* The Police Service Commission (PSC) was tasked to enforce this, including by monitoring at airports and highways.
10. *President Bola Tinubu (2023 & 2025)*
* According to news reports, Tinubu ordered the withdrawal of police officers attached to VIPs so that they can be redeployed to core policing duties.
* He also approved recruitment of 30,000 additional police officers, and said VIPs who need protection should now be assigned operatives from the *Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC)* instead of the regular police.
* At least *8 different times* (by different IGPs or presidents) there have been major orders to *withdraw police from VIPs*.
* These calls span *from about 2003 up to 2025*.
* It is not just a one-off with Tinubu: it is a recurring *pattern*. As noted by ICIR, these “withdrawal” pronouncements are quite common.
* However, *implementation has often been weak* or partial: past directives have sometimes failed to stick (police officers end up back with VIPs).
* Also, some clarifications matter: e.g. the 2025 withdrawal refers *specifically to PMF personnel*, not necessarily *all* police detail.
[1]: https://www.icirnigeria.org/from-tafa-to-egbetokun-usual-rhetoric-igps-who-ordered-withdrawal-of-police-from-vips/?utm_source=chatgpt.com "Tafa to Egbetokun: IGPs who ordered withdrawal of police VIPs"
[2]: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2018/03/igp-idris-orders-immediate-withdrawal-policemen-attached-politicians-vips/?utm_source=chatgpt.com "IGP Idris orders immediate withdrawal of policemen attached to politicians, VIPs - Vanguard News"
[3]: https://fij.ng/article/timeline-before-egbetokun-one-president-4-igps-withdrew-police-from-vips-but-nothing-changed/?utm_source=chatgpt.com "TIMELINE: Before Egbetokun, One President, 4 IGPs 'Withdrew Police From VIPs' — But Nothing Changed"
[4]: https://punchng.com/ig-withdraws-mobile-policemen-from-ex-govs-ministers-vips/?utm_source=chatgpt.com "IG withdraws mobile policemen from ex-govs, ministers, VIPs"
[5]: https://nairametrics.com/2025/04/23/igp-orders-immediate-withdrawal-of-mobile-police-officers-from-vips/?utm_source=chatgpt.com "IGP orders immediate withdrawal of mobile police officers from VIPs - Nairametrics"
[6]: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/08/withdrawal-of-officers-from-vips-police-deploy-men-to-airports-highways-to-enforce-directive/?utm_source=chatgpt.com "WITHDRAWAL OF OFFICERS FROM VIPs: Police deploy men to airports, highways to enforce directive - Vanguard News"
[7]: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2025/11/breaking-tinubu-orders-withdrawal-of-police-officers-guarding-vips?utm_source=chatgpt.com "Breaking: Tinubu orders withdrawal of police officers guarding VIPs- Vanguard News"
[8]: https://dailypost.ng/2023/11/09/igp-never-withdrew-police-officers-from-vips-adejobi/?utm_source=chatgpt.com "IGP never withdrew police b from VIPs – Adejobi - Daily Post Nigeria"
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