There was tension in the Senate on Wednesday as Senator Abdul Ningi (PDP, Bauchi Central) led several lawmakers in protesting what they called the selective enforcement of President Bola Tinubu’s directive to withdraw police orderlies from VIPs across the country.
Lawmakers argued that the directive was being applied unevenly and demanded that members of the National Assembly be exempted—just as the President, Vice President, Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives, state governors, and their deputies continue to enjoy full security protection.
President Tinubu recently ordered the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to remove police personnel from VIPs and redeploy them to core policing duties. Following this order, the Special Protection Unit (SPU) instructed all police officers attached to VIPs nationwide to return to their bases.
Raising a Point of Order, Senator Ningi complained that his only police orderly was withdrawn early Wednesday morning, while many other VIPs—ministers, business executives, and even children of top officials—still retain security escorts.
He insisted that if the policy must be implemented, it must affect everyone equally, from top government officials to private business elites. Ningi urged the Senate to mandate its Committee on Police Affairs to investigate why the directive appears to be enforced selectively.
Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau responded by assuring lawmakers that the Senate leadership had already taken up the issue with the presidency. He expressed confidence that President Tinubu would reconsider the policy for National Assembly members, noting that maintaining security escorts for lawmakers aligns with international practice.
This is not the first time senators have raised concerns. On November 26, several lawmakers warned that withdrawing police escorts amid rising insecurity could expose them to serious danger.
Senators Aliyu Wamakko (APC, Sokoto North) and Tahir Monguno (APC, Borno North) both argued that public office holders remain high-value targets for terrorists, kidnappers, and criminal gangs. They described the timing of the withdrawal as dangerous, saying it could put numerous officials at risk.
