Former Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Oyo State, Mutalubi Adebayo, SAN, has argued that Nigerian senators do not require police escorts, insisting that only judges should be exempted from President Bola Tinubu’s directive withdrawing police personnel from Very Important Persons (VIPs).
Speaking on Arise News, Adebayo backed the president’s decision, stressing that lawmakers who feel unsafe should seek private security rather than rely on the police.
“Senators should apply for private guards if they feel they need security,” he said. “They cannot compare their job with that of judges. Some civil servants even require escorts, and ministers do too, but judges are in a special category.”
According to the senior advocate, judges deserve mandatory police protection because of the sensitive nature of their duties and the risks associated with dispensing justice.
“Judges are not VIPs; they are more than VIPs. Police escort for judges is a matter of duty. It is compulsory considering the kind of work they do. Without that protection, it won’t be good even for society,” he added.
Adebayo also dismissed complaints by some senators who have criticised the withdrawal of police escorts, singling out Senator Abdul Ningi for strong criticism.
“To me, Senator Abdul Ningi is taking this matter too far. I’ll say he’s a clown,” Adebayo stated. “What exactly are they doing in the Senate that requires police escorts? Cracking jokes and making cheap money? They don’t need police escorts.”
He maintained that senators who insist on personal protection should engage licensed private security companies instead of drawing police officers away from more critical national assignments.
President Bola Tinubu had recently directed the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to withdraw police personnel attached to VIPs across the country and redeploy them to areas where they are needed in the fight against terrorism and other security challenges.
The directive has, however, drawn criticism from some lawmakers, who warned that the move could expose them to security risks.
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