By Johnbosco Agbakwuru
President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday ordered total compliance with his earlier directive withdrawing all policemen attached to Very Important Personalities, VIPs, across the country.
The President also directed the Minister of Interior, the Inspector-General of Police, and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to ensure the immediate replacement of police officers on special security duties, to prevent people from being left exposed.
The President, who gave the directives in his remarks before the commencement of the Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting at the Council Chambers, Presidential Villa, Abuja, said in the wake of kidnapping and terrorism, the country needs to utilise all the forces to protect the citizens.
Recall that amid the worsening security situation in the country, with the recent kidnappings of students in Kebbi and Niger States, President Tinubu had directed that police officers with VIPs should be withdrawn, and he even approved additional recruitment of 20,000 police officers.
Speaking at the Council Chambers, the President also told the Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima, to liaise with state governments through the National Economic Council, NEC, on grazing reserves that can be salvaged or rehabilitated into ranches, livestock settlement.
He said he was serious with his orders on the withdrawal of police from VIPs and that it must be effective, adding that anyone who needs the services of police should take permission from the IGP, who in turn should take permission from him.
He said: “And I told the IGP, and I hope the minister of police affairs is here, if you have any problem of security because of the nature of the assignment, please contact the IGP and get my clearance.
“The minister of interior should liaise with the IGP and Civil Defence structure to replace those police officers who are on special security duties. So that you don’t leave people exposed.
“NSA and DSS to provide further information and form themselves into the committee and review the structure.
“It should be effective. We face challenges of kidnapping and terrorism; we need all the forces that we can utilise.”
He further said: “I know some of our people are exposed and I understand that we have to make exceptional provision for them, and civil defence are equally armed, and I want to know that from NSA to arm our forest guards too, take it very seriously.
“Again, specifically livestock reform, I think the Vice President should get the NEC first of all to see which villages or grazing reserves can be salvaged or rehabilitated into Ranches, Livestock settlements.
“We must eliminate the possibility of conflicts and turn the Livestock reform into economically viable development. The opportunity is there, let’s utilise it.
“And it is in NEC, if we exercise the constitutional requirement which states that the land belongs to the states, whichever one they can salvage, convert to a livestock village, let us stop this conflict area and turn it into economic opportunities and prosperity.”
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