The Presidency has issued a dramatic call to Nigerians nationwide: name and shame VIPs and private individuals still parading police escorts in defiance of President Bola Tinubu’s sweeping security directive.
The warning came from the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Public Communication, Daniel Bwala, during a televised interview on TVC on Sunday. Bwala said the era of “untouchables” enjoying illegal police protection is over and urged citizens to become active watchdogs of the enforcement process.
According to him, the President’s order withdrawing police escorts from private individuals is a decisive move to reclaim thousands of officers needed for real policing—not escorting celebrities, businessmen, and political big shots.
“If you see any celebrity, business mogul or private individual flouting the President’s order, capture it—photo, video, anything. Send it to the authorities,” Bwala declared.
He stressed that public vigilance is now critical as the administration clamps down on misuse of police manpower by the privileged few.
Bwala clarified that not all VIPs are affected—top-tier government officials will still receive security based on national importance. However, for most others, he insisted, the era of “police-as-private-bodyguards” has come to an abrupt end.
Where protection is genuinely needed, he explained, agencies like the State Security Service (SSS) or the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) may step in instead.
“Police have no business being with you,” he emphasised.
The Presidency insists the directive is part of broader security reforms aimed at boosting frontline policing, freeing up overstretched officers, and restoring public confidence in law enforcement.
In recent months, the federal government has intensified efforts to restructure security agencies—arguing that Nigeria cannot afford to have a significant chunk of its police force babysitting VIPs while communities face rising threats.