Private guards to take over elite protection 

The Federal Government has said it is making plans to end the misuse of police officers and security operatives by Very Important Persons (VIPs), noting that too much attention to elite protection has often compromised the security of the general public.
 
Special Adviser to the President on Policy and Coordination, Hadiza Bala-Usman, made this known at the ongoing Ministerial Retreat of the Federal Ministry of Interior holding in Suleja, Niger State.
 
She criticised the diversion of police personnel, including anti-terrorism units, for VIP escort duties, highlighting the resulting security gaps nationwide.

 The SA said, “We cannot continue to deploy police that have been trained for anti-terrorism to be guarding a VIP in Ikoyi; that is completely wrong. 

“If the person feels he needs protection, let him go and pay a licensed security company to provide it.”
 
Bala-Usman revealed plans to amend the Private Guard Companies Act to empower certified private security firms to take over VIP protection services.
 
“We must free our policemen to do national security as required. Whoever feels too important, needs submachine guns around him, should go and hire private guards with the necessary documentation, not take our mobile policemen,” she added.
 
Highlighting the strain on the police force, Bala-Usman noted that the number of officers available was significantly below the official strength and emphasised that moving officers from VIP duties to national security operations was long due, and proposed integrating retired senior police officers into structured private security companies to enhance professionalism and job creation in the sector.