Wase Urges Tinubu To Review Police Withdrawal From VIPs, Warns of Rising Kidnappings

Wase Urges Tinubu To Review Police Withdrawal From VIPs, Warns of Rising Kidnappings

Former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Idris Wase, has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to reconsider the directive ordering the withdrawal of police protection from Very Important Persons (VIPs), warning that the move could worsen Nigeria’s kidnapping crisis.

Speaking during a House session on Wednesday, Wase said the decision, “if not carefully handled, will lead to more kidnappings,” citing a video circulating online in which bandits openly threatened to attack politicians and even target the President.

Wase criticised Nigeria’s limited police presence compared to other nations, noting that Egypt—with a much smaller population—has millions of police personnel, while many Nigerian communities lack a single police station.

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He argued that the order should not be seen as targeting VIPs but as an issue of public safety, stressing that insecurity in the North and North Central regions has reached alarming levels. He disclosed that bandits collected over N5 billion in ransom in one year, while more than 30,000 lives have been lost to banditry and insurgency within the same period.

Wase appealed to the President to review and properly categorise those who should retain police protection, warning that failure to do so could expose public officials and citizens to greater danger.