Onoh asks Tinubu to balance security, reconsider VIP police withdrawal

By : 'Sola Akinsanmi

Date: 30 November 2025 2:17pm WAT

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Denge Josef Onoh

Denge Josef Onoh

The Chairman of the Forum of Former Members of Enugu State House of Assembly and former Southeast spokesman to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Denge Josef Onoh, has warned that the president’s directive to withdraw police protection from VIPs could affect the country negatively and promote high crime.

Onoh, while addressing journalists in Kano State, shared his reservations against such a directive. Onoh highlighted his tenure as a member of the Enugu State House of Assembly (2003–2007), where he chaired the Committee on Finance and Appropriation, and his roles as Senior Special Adviser on Domestic Matters, Security, and Special Projects under former Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.

He was later appointed a commissioner in the Office of the Governor and Executive Chairman of the Enugu Capital Territory Development Authority (ECTDA). Onoh said that it was in those positions that he witnessed firsthand the intricate interplay between governance, security, and public welfare.

He particularly pointed at the EndSARS crisis, IPOB sit-at-home protests, and unknown gunmen menace in the Southeast. “As the founder of the Asiwaju Renewed Mandate South East (ARMSE) and your Southeast spokesman in the 2023 Presidential campaign, I remain steadfast in my support for His Excellency’s Renewed Hope agenda. Yet, it is precisely because of this unwavering loyalty that I must speak out today on a policy directive that, while well-intentioned, risks exacerbating the very insecurity it seeks to address.

“Nigeria stands at a perilous crossroads. In November 2025 alone, our nation has been gripped by a surge in violent abductions and attacks that have shattered communities and tested our collective resolve. “Over the past year (July 2024–June 2025), Nigeria recorded 4,722 kidnappings in 997 incidents, resulting in 762 deaths, with ransom demands totalling 48 billion naira—fueling a structured, profit-driven criminal industry.

“It is against this backdrop of escalating threats that Mr President issued a directive to withdraw over 11,566 police personnel from VIP protection duties—redeploying them to core public security roles while shifting elite safeguards to the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC)—which must be urgently reconsidered. “I commend Mr President’s bold vision to bolster community policing and approval for the recruitment of 30,000 new officers, a step that aligns with our shared goal of safeguarding every Nigerian.

“However, a blanket withdrawal at this juncture could inadvertently heighten risks for political office holders and VIPs, transforming them into high-profile targets in an already volatile environment. With kidnappers viewing abductions as lucrative enterprises—demanding up to 100 million naira per victim in recent cases—unprotected VIPs would become prime objectives, potentially spiking incidents and overwhelming our strained security apparatus.

“This could not only worsen the insecurity the directive aims to contain but also erode public confidence in governance, fostering political resentment toward the administration at a time when unity is paramount for the 2027 elections.

“Instead, I urge a calibrated approach: limit police protection for all VIPs and political office holders to a minimum of two officers for low-risk individuals and a maximum of four for high-risk ones, based on threat assessments by the Inspector-General of Police. This restrained allocation—far below the current excesses where up to 100,000 officers guard elites—would free thousands for frontline duties while preserving essential safeguards.

“Such a policy echoes global best practices, where VIP protection is integral to national stability. “Nigerian law unequivocally supports targeted VIP protection as a state responsibility. The Police Act 2020 empowers the Nigeria Police Force to provide ‘specialised services’ for the protection of lives and property, including orderlies for verified needs, with fees recoverable via the Police Service Scheme Account (POSSAP portal). “Section 215(3) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) grants the President authority to direct the IGP on internal security matters, including protective deployments, underscoring that such measures are not optional but essential for maintaining order.

“Even as the IGP has affirmed VIP protection’s role in economic stability—safeguarding employers of labour who sustain thousands of jobs—the Act mandates that these duties not compromise public safety. “Internationally, robust VIP protection remains a cornerstone of security frameworks. South Africa’s VIP Protection Unit (VIPU), embedded within the South African Police Service, provides static and transit safeguards for the president, cabinet ministers, and dignitaries, freeing resources for community policing through private sector outsourcing for non-essential roles—a model that released over 15,000 officers for patrols between 2016 and 2021.

“In the United States, the Secret Service’s protective details for the president and candidates, augmented by local law enforcement for other VIPs, ensure seamless operations without depleting public resources. “The United Kingdom’s Metropolitan Police Royalty and Specialist Protection Command similarly deploys calibrated teams for high-profile figures, balancing elite security with national policing under the Police and Crime Commissioners Act.

“Kenya’s 2019 reforms banned state personnel for private errands, redirecting them to core duties while retaining police for verified VIP threats via the National Police Service Commission. “These nations demonstrate that limited, professional VIP protection enhances, rather than hinders, overall security. “To truly fortify our forces, the focus must shift beyond redeployment to empowerment. Enhanced welfare packages—competitive salaries, housing allowances, and health benefits—coupled with tax exemptions on security personnel’s emoluments, would boost morale, retention, and recruitment. Imagine a motivated force, unburdened by financial woes, patrolling our forests and villages with renewed vigour. This holistic strategy would honour the President’s vision while mitigating risks, ensuring that Nigeria’s security architecture protects all—from the schoolchild in Niger and all states in Nigeria to the statesman in Abuja.

“Mr President, I implore you: Reconsider and refine this directive. Let us build a safer Nigeria together, where hope is renewed not just in policy, but in the lives it preserves. The people are watching, and their trust is our greatest asset,” Onoh implored.

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