A former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Idris Wase, on Wednesday said bandits were threatening to abduct members of the National Assembly.
He made the disclosure during the resumed debate on national security in the lower chamber, where he urged President Bola Tinubu to review his directive ordering the withdrawal of police operatives attached to Very Important Personalities.
President Tinubu had on Sunday directed the withdrawal of police officers during a security meeting in Abuja attended by Service Chiefs and the Director-General of the Department of State Services. He instructed police authorities to redeploy the officers to focus on core policing duties, leading the Special Protection Unit of the Nigeria Police Force to order all personnel attached to VIPs and posts nationwide to return to their bases. Under the new policy, VIPs requiring armed protection must now request personnel from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps rather than rely on police officers.
The Presidency explained that the decision was intended to strengthen police presence in communities, especially in remote areas where police stations are understaffed and residents remain vulnerable to attacks. Wase, however, called on the Commander-in-Chief to clearly define the categorisation of VIPs under the new arrangement. He said there was a time when Boko Haram terrorists were found on the list of recruits in the Army and the Police Force, stressing the need for clarity and caution.
