Ex-VP supports withdrawal of policemen from VIPs

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has praised the withdrawal of policemen guarding Very Important Persons (VIPs) in the country.

On Monday, March 19, 2018, the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris ordered the withdrawal of police officers attached to individuals, political and public office holders nationwide.

According to NAIJ, the VP said that he had earlier called for the withdrawal of policemen from VIPs.

Atiku also told newsmen that the move will enable the policemen focus on effectively protecting lives and property.

He said “Our security forces are overstretched. We do not have enough military and paramilitary forces to provide security for the peace-loving people of Nigeria which is why the recent Government Girls Science and Technical College, Dapchi, Yobe State kidnapping occurred. Their school was left unguarded.”

Speaking on the kidnap of the Dapchi school girls by Boko Haram in Yola, the ex-VP said “Recently, the Chairman of the Police Service Commission, Chief Mike Okiro, revealed that 150,000 policemen are guarding various elites and those we know as ‘big men’. If I had my way, I would have recalled all of those 150,000 policemen who are not performing core police duties and send them to provide security for every school in the North-East region.”

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Following the IGP’s order, Senator Dino Melaye alleged that the directive was aimed at making it easy for assassins to get to him.

In his post on Twitter, the Senator said that the IGP wants to expose him after his string of public clashes with the police and the Kogi State government.