The Inspector-General of Police (IGP) has ordered the quiet demobilisation of officers attached to the No. 24 Police Mobile Force (PMF) Presidential Escort Unit at the State House, Abuja, with their immediate redeployment to police commands across the country.
The directive, conveyed through an internal police signal dated December 16, 2025, was issued by the Department of Finance and Administration (Welfare) at the Force Headquarters, Abuja. The signal, referenced CH:5660/WEL/FHQ/ABJ/VOL.96, instructed senior police formations to ensure the prompt movement of the affected officers to their respective state commands.
Sources familiar with the development said the order was approved by the IGP and communicated to key police authorities, including the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of Operations, Assistant Inspectors-General overseeing the Police Mobile Force and zonal commands, as well as Commissioners of Police nationwide.
The demobilisation affects officers who had been deployed to provide close-protection duties at the Presidential Villa. Under the new arrangement, they are to return from Abuja to their original or newly assigned state commands, such as Adamawa, Kebbi, Kaduna and several others.
A breakdown of the redeployment shows that officers were reassigned to virtually all geopolitical zones. Adamawa received 13 officers, Kebbi 18, and Kaduna 14, while Anambra had seven officers posted to the command. Akwa Ibom received two officers, Bauchi 12, Benue nine, and Borno eight. Bayelsa had four officers redeployed, while Cross River received one.
In the South-East, Ebonyi received nine officers, Enugu nine, and Imo eight. Ekiti had 10 officers posted, while Ondo and Osun received six officers each. Other states with significant numbers of redeployed personnel include Katsina with 21 officers, Niger with 20, Plateau and Taraba with 19 each, Sokoto with 18, and Jigawa, Kogi, Kano and Kwara with 16 officers apiece. Yobe received 15 officers, while Nasarawa had 15 and Gombe 12.
Within the Federal Capital Territory, 22 officers were reassigned to the FCT Command. In addition, some officers were redeployed to zonal commands, with Zone 1 in Kano receiving two officers, Zone 3 in Yola one officer, and Zone 7 in Abuja six officers.
The signal was also copied to strategic offices, including the Chief Personal Security Officer to the President and the Commander of No. 24 PMF, Abuja. Police formations in several state capitals and major cities were equally notified, underscoring the wide scope of the internal redeployment.
The latest development follows an earlier directive by President Bola Tinubu in November, ordering the withdrawal of police officers from VIP escort and guard duties. The President had insisted that officers assigned to private individuals and non-core security roles be redeployed to frontline policing to address rising insecurity across the country.
Following that order, the Nigeria Police Force began enforcing compliance, including the deployment of special monitoring teams. In some locations, officers of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps have been assigned to replace withdrawn police escorts, as part of efforts to refocus police manpower on core law enforcement duties nationwide.
