Against the backdrop of security challenges confronting the country, Inspector General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris, has ordered the immediate withdrawal of personnel attached to politicians, multinational companies, business entrepreneurs and corporate individuals.
The IGP said the Police Force Headquarters will send a memo to President Muhammadu Buhari for approval.
The memo, according to the IGP, would serve as a template or guideline on how police personnel should be deployed to Very Important Persons (VIPs), political and public office holders, among others in the country.
The IGP made the disclosure during his monthly meeting with Commissioners of Police and other senior officers in Abuja, yesterday.
To ensure strict compliance with the directive, Idris said a task force, headed by ACP Mohammed Dankwara, has been constituted at the Force headquarters in Abuja, and added that commissioners of police are to replicate same at their commands with immediate effect.
He said: “In view of the current security challenges in the country, it has become expedient for the Nigeria Police Force to streamline the deployment of its personnel attached to political and public office holders, aimed at enhancing effective and efficient policing in the country.
“To this effect, a memo will be forwarded to the president for approval which will serve as a template for deployment to VIPs and public office holders in the country.”
He said the directive include entrepreneurs, as well as corporate individuals, and that any of the organisations that require the services of the officers and found worthy, would be considered from the Special Protection Unit (SPU) of the Force, on application for re-validation through commissioners of police where they are domiciled.
“By so doing, I am charging the commissioners of police with the responsibility of supervising such official deployment and, thereby, holding them accountable,” Idris said.
The IGP, who also spoke on illegal use of siren and abuse of spy number plates, directed holders of all police plate numbers to return them to the Force Transport Officer (FTO) at the headquarters in Abuja.
Idris stressed that they are expected to apply for re-validation.
He, however, said a task force formed under ACP Mohammed Dankwara, which would ensure that all state commissioners of police comply with the directives while the list of the task force team should be forwarded to the Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of Operations on or before March 31.
The IGP, on the occasion, decorated some senior police officers who were recently promoted to their next ranks by the Police Service Commission (PSC).
Among newly decorated officers to the rank of Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) was Danjuma Ibrahim, who was recently acquitted by a Federal High Court over the Apo six killings.
Ibrahim allegedly connived with other officers to cause the death of Igbo traders arrested by the police attached to Garki Police Division, Abuja, on June 7, 2005. He was acquitted by the court and reinstated by the police authorities.
-Sun