Daniel Otera
A major shake-up is underway in Nigeria’s security architecture as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the withdrawal of an estimated 100,000 police officers from VIP protection duties, relocating them to frontline policing and counter-insurgency operations across the country.
The directive followed a high-level security meeting in Abuja on Sunday attended by Service Chiefs and the head of the Department of State Services. According to a statement issued by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the government will henceforth rely on the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps to provide armed escorts for individuals who require such services.
Onanuga explained that the President’s decision was driven by the growing need to reinforce police presence nationwide. “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered the withdrawal of police officers currently providing security for Very Important Persons. Henceforth, police authorities will deploy them to concentrate on their core duties,” he said. He added that the Federal Government has approved the recruitment of 30,000 new police personnel.
The decision comes amid longstanding concerns over the diversion of the country’s limited police manpower. A 2025 report by the European Union Agency for Asylum noted that while Nigeria has an estimated 371,800 police officers serving more than 236 million people, a significant portion is assigned to VIPs, leaving many communities under-policed.
The security overhaul follows mounting public outrage over the abduction of schoolchildren in Papiri, Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State. Reports indicated that soldiers guarding St. Mary Private Primary and Secondary Schools left their post shortly before the attackers struck.
Governor Nasir Idris of Kebbi State raised concerns while receiving a delegation led by Nigeria Labour Congress President, Joe Ajaero. Idris said he was “deeply troubled” that troops withdrew despite intelligence warnings. “We provided intelligence reports. We alerted them. So, who gave the order for troops to withdraw at that critical hour?” he asked.
Local leaders offered similar accounts. The District Head of Maga, Muhammad Dantani, said soldiers were seen at the school around midnight but left about an hour before the bandits arrived. Police officers at the scene reportedly took cover due to the overwhelming number of attackers.
Reacting to the concerns, the Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj. Gen. Michael Onoja, said the military has commenced a review of the troops’ redeployment and will take corrective steps if any lapses are established.
The Theatre Commander of Operation Fansan Yamma, Maj. Gen. Warrah Idris, has directed troops to intensify the search for the armed group responsible for the Niger school abduction. During an assessment visit, he encouraged troops to sustain pressure until every child is rescued. “The bandits are clearly feeling the heat of our operations and will find no safe haven,” he said.
A senior officer involved in the operation said the military remains confident. “We are closing in on them. The operations are coordinated and precise. Rescuing these children is our top priority,” he explained.
Community leaders in Papiri expressed renewed hope after the commanders’ visit. Many said the presence of senior officers on the ground gave families reassurance that their children will return home.
In response to the growing insecurity, the Kebbi State Government has ordered the immediate closure of all public and private secondary schools, as well as several tertiary institutions. Commissioners Halima Bande and Issa Abubakar-Tunga said the closure was a necessary precaution. “Our priority at this critical moment is the safety of our children,” Bande stated.
The shutdown affects hundreds of schools across the state. The government said only the College of Nursing Sciences and Midwifery in Birnin Kebbi will remain open.
Col. Ahmed Usman (retd.), Special Adviser on Security to the Governor of Sokoto State, criticised the widespread closures, describing them as a setback. “Closing schools should not become the default response. It encourages the perpetrators,” he warned. He urged authorities to combine military operations with youth programmes, community engagement and other long-term solutions.
There was a moment of relief on Sunday as 50 of the abducted pupils escaped and returned home. The Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria in Niger State, Bishop Bulus Yohanna, said the children found their way back between Friday and Saturday. According to him, 253 people including pupils, secondary school students and staff members remain in captivity.
All 38 worshippers abducted from Christ Apostolic Church, Oke Isegun, in Kwara State have regained their freedom after a joint operation by security agencies. The Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Rafiu Ajakaye, said the release was possible due to “many days of hard work” and what he described as the President’s “hands-on approach”. He stated that the President cancelled his trip to the G20 meeting in South Africa to focus on the security crisis.
The victims’ release followed operations involving the Nigerian Army, the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigeria Intelligence Agency and the Department of State Services.
At the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV expressed sorrow over the kidnappings in Nigeria, calling for the immediate release of the abducted schoolgirls. “I make a heartfelt appeal for the immediate release of the hostages,” he said. The Pope urged the global community to pray for the victims and for schools and churches to remain places of safety.
The Deputy National Organising Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, Nze Chidi Duru, warned that the pattern of recent attacks suggests an “organised, choreographed and orchestrated” attempt to trigger nationwide panic ahead of the 2027 elections. He said the President has taken full ownership of the crisis and will deploy every instrument available to secure lives and property.
Duru cautioned political actors against exploiting insecurity for political gain. “It is regrettable, if any Nigerian believes that the overrunning of Nigeria by bandits and terrorists would in any way benefit them. There may not be any country left for them to govern,” he said.