Deputy Inspector General of Police, Zanna Mohammed Ibrahim, (Rtd) has cautioned that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s directive ordering the withdrawal of police officers from VIPs will fail just like similar directives issued in the past unless Nigeria confronts the deep structural problems that have long weakened the country’s policing system.
In a detailed analysis, the retired DIG said the problem goes far beyond presidential orders, noting that successive Inspectors-General of Police have issued the same instruction over the years but lacked the structural support to enforce it.
“VIP Protection Has Become an Economy Inside the Police”
Ibrahim revealed that nearly one-quarter of Nigeria’s police workforce between80,000 and 90,000 officersis currently deployed as personal security to politicians, businessmen, entertainers, expatriates, religious figures, malls, banks and private individuals “seeking status.”
He described the VIP escort system as a “cash cow” that generates official and unofficial revenue streams for officers and commanders, making the structure extremely resistant to reform.
The retired DIG warned that the diversion of personnel to VIP duties has severely weakened policing nationwide.
According to him:“Police stations are under staffed Rural and peri-urban communities are exposedResponse times are slowIntelligence gathering is weak .Crime prevention has become reactive instead of proactive”
He added that many influential Nigerians view police escorts as a “right of office” or a “status symbol,” making withdrawal difficult. Attempts to enforce past directives, he said, collapsed under:Political interference pressurefrom businessmeninfluence from power brokers explorationof legal gray areas