Withdraw Vice President’s Escort Too: Senator Ningi Slams Selective Enforcement of Police Escort Withdrawal

By Micheal Chukwuebuka

The Senate sitting on Tuesday grew tense after Senator Abdul Ningi (PDP, Bauchi Central) condemned the withdrawal of police orderlies attached to lawmakers, accusing the executive of applying President Bola Tinubu’s directive in a selective manner.

Raising a Point of Order, Ningi said he woke up to find that his only police orderly had been withdrawn. He stressed that while he had no objection to the President’s 23 November 2025 directive—which ordered police escorts attached to VIPs to return to regular duty—lawmakers should not be singled out.

“I woke up today and was told my police orderly had been withdrawn. I have no problem with that, but I want the same action applied across the board — they should also withdraw the president’s, vice president’s, ministers’, and others’ police escorts,” he said, decrying what he called a clear double standard.

He further expressed outrage that while senators were left without protection, “businessmen, foreign nationals, and celebrity entertainers” continued to move around with full police escorts, openly disregarding the presidential order.

Responding to his concerns, Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin disclosed that the Senate leadership had held an emergency meeting to seek an exemption for lawmakers, warning that the abrupt withdrawal exposed members to unnecessary danger.

The Senate has now directed its Committee on Police Affairs to investigate the alleged selective enforcement. The committee is expected to report back within four weeks.