FG redeploys police from VIP escorts to frontline security after Kwara attack

The Federal Government has ordered the immediate withdrawal and redeployment of Nigeria Police Force (NPF) officers previously assigned to VIP escort duties.

Announcing the move on Friday, February 13, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said the development forms part of a broader effort to strengthen the country’s security framework.

“Further strengthening the security architecture, the Nigeria Police Force has executed a large-scale redeployment of officers previously assigned to VIP escort duties nationwide,” he said.

The decision marks a shift in focus from protecting private individuals to enhancing public safety. It comes shortly after a deadly attack in Kwara State in which at least 75 villagers were k!lled.

For years, the assignment of police personnel to private VIP protection has drawn criticism, with concerns that it reduced manpower available for community policing. According to the minister, the latest large-scale redeployment is intended to address that imbalance by returning thousands of officers to frontline duties.

Idris said the redeployed officers have already been integrated into key security structures, with immediate personnel boosts in Kwara, Plateau, Benue, Kogi, Nasarawa, Niger and the Federal Capital Territory.

He added that security presence has also been intensified around places of worship, including increased visible deployment around churches during Sunday services, in coordination with community and faith leaders.

According to the minister, President Bola Tinubu’s counter-terrorism approach remains Nigerian-led and sovereignty-driven. However, he said the government remains open to strategic cooperation with international partners, including intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance support where it aligns with national interests.

The renewed security measures follow a gruesome attack on Tuesday evening when gunmen stormed the Woro community and the neighbouring Nuku area in Kwara North around 5:30 p.m., killing at least 75 people. The attackers reportedly set shops on fire, torched the residence of a traditional ruler and forced residents to flee into nearby bushes.

The Northern States Governors’ Forum condemned the k!llings in Kwara, Katsina and Benue states, describing them as “barbaric, senseless, and a direct assault on the collective conscience of the nation.” Kwara State Governor Abdulrahman AbdulRazaq described the incident as a “pure massacre,” confirming that the victims had been buried.

In response, President Tinubu has ordered the deployment of an army battalion to Kwara State to reinforce security operations and restore calm in the affected communities.