Security For The Few Or Safety For All? CSOs Slam Akpabio’s Call To Restore Police Escorts
Prosper Okoye
As Nigeria grapples with overstretched security resources, a fresh debate has emerged over who truly deserves police protection.
Civil society organisations have pushed back against Senate President Godswill Akpabio’s call for the restoration of police escorts for federal lawmakers, describing the request as out of touch with democratic norms and the daily realities of ordinary Nigerians.
Akpabio had appealed to President Bola Tinubu to review his directive to withdraw police operatives from Very Important Persons (VIPs), warning that the move would expose lawmakers to security risks and could prevent some from returning safely to their constituencies.
The appeal was made during the president’s presentation of the 2026 budget at a joint sitting of the National Assembly in Abuja.
However, a coalition under the Support for Civil Society Organisations Initiative dismissed the call as a misplaced priority.
In a statement, the group said lawmakers should not be shielded by armed escorts while communities remain vulnerable, arguing that accountability and good governance, not heavy security, are what earn public trust.
The coalition added that redeploying police officers from political protection to community safety could narrow the gap between leaders and the people they represent, strengthen democracy, and curb the culture of privilege surrounding public office.
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