In a country plagued by rising insecurity, the Nigerian Police Force has become an elite-serving institution rather than a public protector. Despite having just 370,000 officers for over 200 million citizens—far below the UN-recommended ratio—many officers are not deployed to communities but instead serve as private security for VIPs. Senators, business tycoons, and their families enjoy round-the-clock police protection, while ordinary citizens are left to fund their own safety through vigilante groups, high fences, and prayers.
This VIP protection has evolved into a profitable shadow economy, particularly through the Special Protection Unit (SPU). Wealthy individuals pay up to ₦150,000 per officer monthly for armed escorts, creating a revenue stream that trickles up through the police hierarchy. This deeply entrenched system makes reform difficult, as efforts to scale down police attached to VIPs threaten financial interests rather than logistical arrangements. As a result, public safety is compromised, rural communities remain vulnerable, and response times to crimes are abysmal.
To reclaim the police for national service, urgent reform is needed. VIP security must be restricted to one official escort, with additional protection outsourced to licensed private firms. Transparency, auditing, and reallocation of officers back to public duty are essential. This is not an attack on the rich but a call to prioritize collective security over private comfort. Until the police are restored to their civic duty, insecurity will persist, and the force will remain missing not due to scarcity, but due to being stationed at the gates of the powerful.
