The Nigeria Police Force has issued a fresh and urgent directive warning officers to stop escorting Very Important Persons (VIPs) while dressed in mufti, declaring the practice a clear violation of standing operational orders.
The warning came through a wireless message from the Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Protection (AIG PROTECT FHQ), addressed to all Special Protection Units (SPU) nationwide. The signal—referenced CB: 4001/DOPS/SPU/FHQ/ABJ/VOL.20—reaffirmed the Inspector General of Police’s earlier order banning plain-clothes protection details and withdrawing officers attached to unauthorized VIPs.
Despite repeated instructions, the Police High Command noted that some personnel continue to accompany VIPs in mufti, directly contravening SPU guidelines. The message cautioned that any officer caught disobeying the directive “will be dealt with accordingly.”
The signal was circulated to major police formations across the country, including Lagos, Kano, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Enugu, Minna, Calabar, Owerri, Sokoto, and other key commands. Units were instructed to acknowledge the notice immediately and treat it as “urgent and important.”
This renewed enforcement follows President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s recent directive ordering police officers attached to VIPs to be withdrawn and redeployed to core policing duties. During a high-level security meeting in Abuja, the President mandated that any VIP seeking personal security must now request armed operatives from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
Following this order, internal restructuring has begun. A memo signed by Neji Veronica, Commanding Officer of SPU Base 16 in Lagos, directed all personnel attached to VIPs to return to their base before the close of business on November 24. The memo emphasized strict compliance and announced a compulsory lecture parade the next day.
The Police leadership maintains that the enforcement aims to restore professionalism, streamline security operations, and ensure officers remain focused on their primary duty: protecting the Nigerian public.
