A former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Idris Wase, has pleaded with President Bola Tinubu to review the withdrawal of police officers from Very Important Persons (VIPs).
Naija News reports that Tinubu on Sunday ordered the withdrawal of police officers at a security meeting in Abuja attended by Service Chiefs and the Director-General of the Department of State Services.
He also directed police authorities to redeploy them to concentrate on their core duties, a move that mandated the Special Protection Unit of the Nigeria Police Force to order all officers attached to VIPs nationwide to return to their bases.
Speaking on Wednesday at the resumption of debate on national security in the lower chamber, Wase lamented that bandits were threatening to abduct members of the National Assembly.
The lawmaker urged the President to clarify the categorisation of VIPs, saying there was a time when Boko Haram terrorists were found on the list of recruits in the Army and Police Force.
In the new arrangement, VIPs requiring security protection will now need to request armed personnel from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, rather than relying on police officers.
The Presidency explained that the move aims to boost police presence in communities, especially in remote areas where police stations are often understaffed, and citizens remain vulnerable to attacks.