By Wolimoh Abdulmateen
President Bola Tinubu has ordered ministers and top government officials to seek his approval before asking for police escorts during official duties. He issued the directive at the Federal Executive Council meeting in Abuja, warning that uncoordinated deployments were creating gaps in national security.
Tinubu said security lapses often happen when officers are reassigned without proper planning. He stressed that all requests for escorts must now go through the Inspector-General of Police and receive his clearance. “If you have any problem with security because of the nature of your assignment, please contact the IGP and get my clearance,” he told the council.
The President also directed the Minister of Interior to work with the IGP and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps to replace officers withdrawn for special duties so that no community or post is left exposed.
He instructed the National Security Adviser and the DSS to review the country’s security structure and implement necessary changes. “The NSA and the DSS should provide further information,” he said.
Tinubu noted that some officials face higher exposure risks and said forest guards must also be strengthened as part of community protection efforts. “The civil defence is equally armed, and I want to know from the NSA if we are to arm our forest guards too. We should take it very seriously,” he said.
The President further directed the Vice President to engage the National Economic Council on restoring grazing reserves and developing ranches as part of the livestock reform plan. He said resolving recurring herder–farmer clashes requires turning usable lands into productive livestock hubs. “We must eliminate the possibility of conflicts and turn the livestock reform into economically viable development.”
Tinubu added that states must lead the process in line with constitutional land ownership provisions.