President Bola Tinubu has ordered the withdrawal of no fewer than 100,000 police officers attached to Very Important Persons and politicians, directing that they be redeployed to frontline policing duties as Nigeria battles a surge in mass abductions.
The directive was issued at a security meeting on Sunday in Abuja, attended by Service Chiefs and the Director-General of the Department of State Services. According to the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, VIPs requiring escorts will now be assigned armed personnel from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, while police officers are reassigned to counter-insurgency and community protection.
An estimated 100,000 police personnel are currently attached to VIPs nationwide, leaving fewer officers available for public security. Despite promises by successive Inspectors-General of Police to end these deployments, the practice has continued.
A 2025 report by the European Union Agency for Asylum estimated the Nigeria Police Force at 371,800 officers serving a population of more than 236 million, noting that the diversion of officers to VIP protection significantly undermines community policing.
Announcing Tinubu’s new directive, Onanuga said boosting police presence across communities has become urgent given the escalating security challenges. The President also approved the recruitment of 30,000 additional police personnel and the upgrading of police training facilities nationwide.
Service Chiefs present at the meeting included the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Waidi Shaibu; Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke; Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun; and the DG DSS, Tosin Adeola Ajayi.
The Defence Headquarters has begun reviewing the withdrawal of troops from St. Mary Private Primary and Secondary Schools, Papiri, Niger State, shortly before dozens of schoolgirls were abducted.
Kebbi State Governor, Nasir Idris, questioned why the soldiers pulled out despite intelligence warnings, noting they left around 3 a.m., less than an hour before the attack. Community leaders in Papiri confirmed that troops had been present shortly before midnight but withdrew before the gunmen arrived.
Maj. Gen. Michael Onoja, Director of Defence Media Operations, said the military was investigating the circumstances surrounding the redeployment and would take corrective action if lapses were uncovered.
The Theatre Commander of Operation Fansan Yamma, Maj. Gen. Warrah Idris, has directed troops to intensify operations to locate the armed group behind the Niger school abductions. During an assessment visit, he assured commanders that all required resources would be provided and ordered sustained pressure on the attackers.
Local leaders expressed renewed confidence following the high-level visit, saying the military presence on the ground offered hope for the pupils’ safe return.
The Kebbi State Government has ordered the immediate closure of all public and private secondary schools, as well as most state-owned tertiary institutions, following rising security threats. Only the College of Nursing Sciences, Birnin Kebbi, will remain open.
Education commissioners said the decision was driven by the need to protect students amid escalating attacks, including recent abductions in neighbouring states. Critics, however, warn that widespread school closures risk emboldening criminal groups and deepening educational setbacks in the region.
Fifty schoolgirls abducted from St. Mary’s School in Papiri have escaped and reunited with their families, according to the Christian Association of Nigeria in Niger State. CAN reported that 253 students and 12 staff remain in captivity.
The mass abduction prompted the Niger State Government to shut down schools statewide.
Thirty-eight worshippers abducted from Christ Apostolic Church, Oke Isegun, in the Ekiti LGA of Kwara State, have been released after a joint security operation. The attackers killed three worshippers and abducted dozens last Tuesday.
Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq attributed the breakthrough to the “hands-on approach” of President Tinubu, who cancelled a trip to the G20 Summit to focus on rescue efforts. Multiple security agencies, including the DSS, Army, NIA and Police tactical teams, took part in the operation.
Pope Leo XIV has expressed “immense sadness” over the kidnappings in Nigeria and Cameroon, urging the immediate release of abducted students and worshippers. He prayed that schools and churches across the region remain places of safety and hope.
The All Progressives Congress has alleged that the spike in coordinated attacks bears the mark of an “organised, choreographed and orchestrated” campaign aimed at creating national panic ahead of the 2027 elections.
APC National Working Committee member, Duru, said President Tinubu has taken full control of the security situation and will deploy all constitutional powers to protect lives and property. He warned against political actors attempting to exploit the crisis.
A former Osun State lawmaker, Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, has urged the President and the National Security Adviser to identify and prosecute saboteurs within the security system. He expressed concern that internal and external collaborators may be undermining efforts to curb killings and abductions.
