Kayode Egbetokun, inspector-general of police (IGP), says the presidential order to strip very important persons (VIPs) of police escorts has revealed the actual number of officers diverted from core policing duties.
On Sunday, President Bola Tinubu directed the immediate withdrawal of police personnel assigned to political office holders and influential individuals across the country.
The presidency said the move is part of a broader national security plan aimed at improving police efficiency and reinforcing public safety.
Speaking on Thursday at a meeting with police strategic commanders in Abuja, the IGP said misleading claims circulating online forced him to clarify the scale of officers attached to private citizens.
He said some social media users have been “brandishing” false figures regarding the deployment of personnel.
“We have already withdrawn 11,566 personnel; we have given directions for that. I have seen some things posted on the social media misleading,” the IGP said.
“People are quoting figures, figures I don’t know where they got their figures from, where they said that 120,000 policemen are attached to private individuals in Nigeria. These are lies.”
The IGP said the presidential directive prompted a fresh audit that revealed 11,566 officers are currently assigned to VIP protection duties.
He added that the force had earlier attempted to reduce the number of officers guarding individuals, but the efforts were resisted.
“Recently, I gave instruction that policemen should be withdrawn from private individuals, and those private individuals desirous of police protection should reapply,” he said.
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