Tinubu Directs Civil Defence To Takeover VIP Security Duties

* Tasks NSA to prioritise arming and effective deployment of forest guards

Deji Elumoye in Abuja

President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday reiterated his earlier directive on the withdrawal of police officers currently providing security for Very Important Persons (VIPs) in the country and further directed the Minister of Interior to deploy officers of the Civil Defence to replace the withdrawn officers from special duties.

The president, who reaffirmed his directive in his opening remarks at the 11th Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting for year 2025 held at the Council Chambers of the State House, Abuja, further instructed the National Security Adviser (NSA) and the Directorate of State Services (DSS) to constitute a committee to review the existing security structure in line with his order.

His words: “I honestly believe in what I said and I call on the IGP and I hope the Minister of Police Affairs is here, if you have any problem of security because of the nature of assignment, please contact the IGP and get my clearance.

“The Minister of Interior should liaise with IGP and Civil Defence structure to replace those police officers, who are on special security duties. So that you don’t leave people exposed.

“NSA and DSS to provide further information and form themselves the committee and review the structure.”

Acknowledging that public officer holders may be exposed and require exceptional protective measures, Tinubu added that the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) is adequately equipped to assume such responsibilities.

He further directed the National Security Adviser to prioritise the arming and effective deployment of forest guards, emphasising that the matter should be treated with utmost seriousness.

The president emphasised that the directive must be fully implemented, citing the country’s ongoing battles against kidnapping and terrorism.

Tinubu noted that Nigeria requires the optimal deployment of all available security personnel to confront these threats.

He said: “It should be effected. We face challenges of kidnapping and terrorism, we need all the forces that we can utilise.

“I know some of our people are exposed and I understand that we have to make exceptional provision for them and civil defence are equally armed and I want to know that from NSA to arm our forest guards too, to take it very seriously.”

The president further called on state governors to rehabilitate existing ranches or designate specific communities for livestock resettlement.

Tinubu added that Nigeria must eliminate the potential for conflict and transform livestock reform into a viable economic enterprise, stressing that the opportunities are clear and should be fully harnessed.

He noted that the framework already exists within the National Economic Council, and that the constitution vests land in the states.

“Again specially livestock reform, I think the vice-president should get the NEC first of all to see which village or grazing reserves that can be salvaged or rehabilitated into ranches, livestock settlement.

“We must eliminate the possibility of conflicts and turn the livestock reform into economically viable development. The opportunity is there let’s utilise it.

“And it is in NEC, if we exercise the constitutional requirement which states that the land belongs to the states, whichever one they can salvage and convert to livestock village let us stop this conflict area and turn it to economic opportunities and prosperity,” the president added.