Vigilante Group of Nigeria offers to provide VIP protection after security aides withdrawal
The Vigilante Group of Nigeria (VGN) has expressed readiness to take on specialised protective duties for high-profile individuals following President Bola Tinubu’s directive ordering the withdrawal of police and other security personnel from political office holders.
The position of the organisation was made known in a statement issued in Abuja and signed by the VGN Commander of Human Resources, Dr Austin Akubo, on behalf of the National Chairman and Commandant-General, Navy Capt. Abubakar Umar-Bakori (rtd). Umar-Bakori said the VGN, with its reported manpower strength of almost two million personnel nationwide, is capable of filling any security vacuum the presidential directive may create.
He explained that VGN operatives have consistently received training from the Nigeria Police Force, Nigerian Army and the Department of State Services (DSS), with additional nationwide capacity-building programmes in community policing, intelligence gathering and equipment handling currently ongoing.
To further strengthen its preparedness, the VGN announced plans to set up a dedicated VIP Protection Squad that will focus exclusively on providing high-level protective services to political leaders, senior government officials, business executives and other prominent individuals.
According to the statement, the proposed unit will carry out close protection duties, escort and transportation security, static guarding at residences and events, as well as advance security surveys and risk assessments before VIP movements or engagements.
The squad will also work closely with conventional security agencies to ensure coordinated operations and will provide expert security advice to individuals under its protection.
The VGN said the new squad would be headed by a senior officer with specialised training in close protection and would comprise thoroughly vetted personnel with expertise in surveillance and protective security operations.
Members of the unit would be equipped with vehicles, communication devices and other modern security tools needed for high-level protection.
Umar-Bakori, who has repeatedly advocated for the formal integration of the VGN into Nigeria’s national security architecture, said the establishment of the VIP Protection Squad would enhance the group’s professionalism and improve synergy with other security agencies.
He maintained that the initiative would further strengthen the organisation’s reputation as a credible provider of specialised security services in the country.
The statement was signed by Dr Austin Akubo of the VGN National Headquarters.
