The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) announced that the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Adamu, has ordered the immediate withdrawal of police personnel attached to specific private individuals and businesses across the country. The directive by the IGP would affect 60 individuals, corporate and religious bodies including Femi Fani-Kayode, former aviation minister; and billionaire businessman, Emeka Offor. This directive was contained in a letter dated November 4 and titled ‘Immediate withdrawal of police personnel attached to unentitled corporate entities/individuals’.
The letter read in part, “The attention of the IGP has been drawn to the fact that the police personnel attached to the corporate bodies and personalities are yet to be withdrawn despite extant directives to that effect.
“ In line with the subsisting order, the IG directs that you withdraw all the PMF, SPU,CTU or conventional police operations attached to the affected companies or individuals in any of their locations across the country with immediate effect.”
According to reports, the affected companies include KYC Holding, Uche Sylva International, Stanel Groups, Think Nigeria First Initiative, among others.
Individuals on the list include Senator Lado Yakubu, Senator Boroface Ajayi, Senator Tokunbo Afikuyomi, Chief Godwin Ekpo, Chief Pius Akinyelure, Ambassador Yuguda Bashir, Chris Giwa, Edozie Madu, and others.
A retired Deputy Inspector-General of Police (Operations), Adebayo Adeoye has endorsed this directive by the IGP. He said it was a waste of manpower to deploy policemen to guard certain VIPs, adding that only those constitutionally required such as the President, Vice President, Senate President, State governors etc. should have police orderlies attached to them.