The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has mentioned President Bola Tinubu’s withdrawal of cops from VIPs is political grandstanding, including that it’s going to not yield any significant ends in combating the disaster of insecurity within the nation.
Nationwide publicity secretary of ADC, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, mentioned the federal government’s resort to this transfer confirms a scarcity of appreciation of the complexity of the safety scenario within the nation and what must be accomplished.
The ADC spokesman, in an announcement, referred to as for a holistic nationwide safety technique that integrates all safety companies as a holistic counter-insurgency power.
Recall that President Bola Tinubu directed the withdrawal of police personnel from VIP obligation.
Reacting nonetheless, ADC mentioned whereas the directive makes for good headlines, it’s not new and demonstrates the federal government’s lack of know-how of the true nature and complexity of Nigeria’s worsening safety disaster.
“A rustic battling terrorism, banditry, mass abductions, and violent crime can not afford to confuse public relations for coverage.
“To start out with, this isn’t the primary time we’re listening to this from the APC authorities. In 2025 alone, such order has been given twice by the IGP, whom we imagine was appearing on the directive of the President. However nothing occurred.
“Nonetheless, even when the President succeeds in relieving the police of VIP duties, we should face the larger concern that by their coaching, mentality and orientation, these policemen are ill-suited and ill-equipped for the determined emergency that we face.
“Subsequently, the dramatic gesture of withdrawing police safety from VIPs could pander to populist sentiment, nevertheless it doesn’t deal with the issue.
“The federal government claims that this announcement would add 100,000 males to the police. Whereas this may increasingly fill some gaps in numerical energy, the true drawback will not be the quantity. It’s the truth that even our navy are discovering it troublesome to deal with the sophistication and adaptableness of the insurgents, to not speak of police males who’re ailing outfitted, ailing educated and ailing motivated for the complicated process of counter-insurgency.
“We discover it much more intriguing that whereas withdrawing policemen from the VIPs, the federal government is changing them with the Nigeria Safety and Civil Defence Corps (NSDC) whose mandate embody Catastrophe Threat Discount and Administration, neighborhood safety and educating the individuals on security measures.
“Nigeria’s safety challenges have to be addressed comprehensively, not cosmetically. What the nation wants will not be the reshuffling of personnel for headlines, however a coherent nationwide safety technique anchored in modernisation, intelligence, and institutional integration.
“For the Nigeria Police Pressure and different safety companies to do that work, they have to be restructured, reequipped, and retrained to confront at the moment’s threats with appropriate instruments. This work is pressing, and half measures won’t suffice.
“Furthermore, this authorities should inform Nigerians the reality. The place is the info supporting the declare that 100,000 officers have been withdrawn from VIP duties?,” he requested.
He tasked the federal government to supply an operational plan, instruments, logistics, and techniques to make sure that officers, who’re used to being escorts to VIPs, may be efficient within the subject.
“Merely redeploying policemen with out readability concerning the function they’re anticipated to play inside a bigger framework and technique particularly designed to cope with insurgency and terrorism is meaningless,” he mentioned.
The ADC spokesman mentioned if the Tinubu authorities is really critical about securing the nation, it should transfer past pronouncements and press briefings, and start the holistic overhaul of Nigeria’s nationwide safety structure.
