Why past withdrawal orders did not work – RULAAC Director
In this interview with Weekend Trust, Executive Director of the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC), an organisation championing reform of police in Nigeria, Okechukwu Nwanguma, highlights key factors that influenced the collapse of police officers’ withdrawal order in the past. He also suggested a new funding model for the force. Why […]
In this interview with Weekend Trust, Executive Director of the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC), an organisation championing reform of police in Nigeria, Okechukwu Nwanguma, highlights key factors that influenced the collapse of police officers’ withdrawal order in the past. He also suggested a new funding model for the force.
Why have these withdrawal orders in the past not worked?
Withdrawal orders failed in the past because they were political announcements without enforcement. VIPs lobbied their way around them, officers returned quietly to guard duties, and there was no monitoring system to track compliance.
The police also never addressed the internal incentives that make VIP protection attractive. So, the policy collapsed under political pressure, corruption, and lack of institutional discipline.
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What do you make of the current order by President Bola Tinubu?
This directive is long overdue. It is the single quickest way to boost police manpower for real policing – patrols, investigations and community safety.
But the key is enforcement. Without a clear database, criteria for eligibility, and sanctions for violations, it could again become another abandoned reform. The idea is correct; implementation will determine its success.
Why the pushback, and where did we get it wrong?
The pushback is not surprising – the old system benefited many powerful people. Government got it wrong by not preparing for resistance.
There should have been a transition plan, clear communication, and a monitoring task force. Without that structure, opponents of the reform are now trying to reverse or dilute the directive. The policy is right, but rollout has been weak.
What funding model should the police adopt now that a major ‘informal revenue stream’ is blocked?
VIP protection should never have been a revenue model in the first place. It corrupted deployment and weakened policing. Nigeria must fund its police through transparent budgeting, a functional Police Trust Fund, regulated fee-based services, and a stronger private security sector.
The real gain here is professionalism – not revenue. A police force should serve the public, not the private interests of VIPs.