Some officers of the Department of State Services have begun lobbying influential Nigerians for deployment as personal security details following President Bola Tinubu’s withdrawal of police escorts from VIPs, Saturday PUNCH has learnt.
The President had ordered the recall of police personnel attached to VIPs as part of efforts to refocus policing on communities facing rising insecurity, redeploying over 11,000 officers nationwide.
Sources said some DSS officers approached prominent individuals to request intervention with state directors for redeployment. A senior DSS officer, however, said those lobbying were “lower cadre,” noting strict rules on VIP postings. “Anybody above Level 13 should not be deployed to VIPs except to the governor or the State House,” he said, adding that arbitrary deployment had been eradicated.
Meanwhile, private security firms reported a sharp rise in demand for escorts nationwide, with requests jumping from about 20 to 70 per cent. The Senate dismissed claims it was seeking special protection, saying, “There is no plan whatsoever.” Security experts warned that attacks on high-profile individuals could heighten national tension.