No fewer than 10,300 policemen serving as security details to former heads of state, ex-governors, top politicians and other citizens are to be reintegrated into the police after the ongoing withdrawal of excess security aides is completed.
An authoritative police source told The Punch on Sunday in Abuja that the huge number of officers will return to the force for their primary assignment -to protect life and property.
Nigeria has about 371,000 policemen.
The Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Mike Okiro, had last Thursday ordered the withdrawal of security details from some categories of persons as part of the police reform programme approved by the National Council of State last month.
Earlier, Okiro had told one of our correspondents in an interview last month that former governors were entitled to just four security details -two to guard their residences, while the other two would accompany them each time they travelled.
"That is what the law says even if a governor has 10 houses," Okiro had said.
According to the source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, former Heads of State such as Generals Yakubu Gowon, Muhammadu Buhari, Ibrahim Babangida and Abdulsalami Abubakar are entitled to five police orderlies.
The source, however, added that the situation depended on their requests and circumstances, and they could also choose which of the services such security aides should come from.
He explained, "They have the right to choose which officer they want, or the service -whether it is the Army, Navy, Air Force or Police. Normally, they are entitled to five police orderlies."
On the ongoing withdrawal of excess security details, the source said, "We expect that between 10,000 and 10,300 police personnel would be reintegrated into the system by the time the withdrawal of excess details is completed throughout the country."
On former heads of state, the source explained that they enjoyed almost the same security consideration as the incumbent.
But it was gathered that the Peoples Democratic Party National Chairman, Chief Vincent Ogbulafor, had five security details, just as the same number were guarding the party's headquarters in Wuse.
On the level of compliance with the IG's directive, the Public Relations Officer of Police Command of the Federal Capital Territory, Mr. Moshood Jimoh, said his command had advised all those with excess police security to return them.
Asked to be specific on those affected in Abuja and the number expected to be withdrawn from these category of persons, Jimoh said the figures would not be available until Tuesday.
Similarly, the PRO, Force Headquarters, Mr. Emmanuel Ojukwu, declined to give details on the number of security aides former public officers were entitled to have.
In his reply to a text message, he said, "It is not safe or in the national interest to disclose the number of security personnel attached to our respected senior citizens."
Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, one of the first victims of the withdrawal of security details, had cried foul over the matter on Thursday, stressing that it was politically-motivated.
But in a swift response, Okiro denied the insinuation, saying that his action was in line with the current police reforms as approved by both the NEC and the Federal Executive Council on March 25, 2009.
Meanwhile, there has been confusion over compliance with the IG's order from state commands of the police. While some said they had been complying with the IG's order, other said they were still awaiting a directive.
For instance, former Governor of Delta State, Chief James Ibori, still enjoys generous protection from policemen.
Investigation by our correspondent revealed that about 14 policemen were currently with the ex-governor.
Our correspondent on Sunday learnt that no fewer than eight riot and conventional policemen were stationed at his Oghara country home to keep vigil at the sprawling estate.
Sources close to the ex-governor said the unspecified number of policemen were also stationed at his houses in Lagos and Abuja.
However, the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Zone II command, Onikan, Lagos, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar, said that he was not aware of any recent directive from the Inspector-General.
Abubakar, who spoke with one of our correspondents on the telephone on Saturday, said no past political office holder in his jurisdiction (Lagos and Ogun) had been relieved of his security aides.
Asked whether any of the security aides attached to former Lagos State Governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, had been withdrawn, the AIG said, "I am not aware of any directive to that effect, so, I cannot order the withdrawal of anybody's security aides."
But the Commissioner of Police, Kaduna State Command, Mr. Tambari Muhammad, said that his command had implemented the order.
Muhammad, who spoke with one of our correspondents from Sokoto, said he had complied with Okiro's order but declined to comment on the number of policemen a former office holder such as an ex-governor was legally entitled to have.
Our correspondent however gathered that the immediate past governor of Kaduna State, Alhaji Ahmed Makarfi, who is now a senator, had not less than four policemen, including his orderly, at any particular time.
However, Buhari, a former military head of state and two-time presidential candidate of the All Nigeria People's Party, still has soldiers guarding his house and office in Kaduna.
But the former governor of old Kaduna State, Alhaji Balarabe Musa, told one of our correspondents that only former presidents and their deputies as well as all serving judges deserved to have police guards.
The PPRO for the Niger State Police Command, Mr. Richard Oguche, told our correspondent in Minna on Sunday that no excess policemen had been withdrawn from the Hilltop residences of the former military heads of state, Generals Babangida and Abubakar.
According to him, "There is no question of withdrawing excess as none of them is having excess policemen in the first instance."
He said most of the security men attached to the former heads of state were soldiers except two or three police officers.
Oguche said that no signal for the withdrawal of excess policemen had been received from Abuja by the command.
The former Senior Special Adviser to Governor Abdulkhadir Kure, Alhaji Mahmoud Abdullahi, said that Kure was presently left with four policemen.
In Bayelsa, since the former Governor Deprieye Alamieyeseigha left office, he has maintained only a riot policeman and one regular policeman as his security aides.
But the Plateau State Police Commissioner, Mr. Greg Ayanting, said that the command had already started implementing the directive of the IG.
But our correspondent spoke to a former Governor, Mr. Fidelis Tapgun, who said that he had only a policeman attached to him.
Similarly, investigation by our correspondent revealed that the first civilian governor of the state, Chief Solomon Lar, also had only one policeman attached to him.
In Ibadan, the security operatives attached to former Governor Lam Adeshina have been withdrawn by the state police command, while his predecessor, Alhaji Rashidi Ladoja, still enjoys the services of two riot policemen.
A former Governor of Anambra State, Dr. Chinwoke Mbadinuju, said he was prepared to surrender his police aides if the authorities demanded so. But the Anambra State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Fidelis Agbo, said he was not aware of any directive to strip former public officers of their excess police orderlies and details.
A former Vice-President, Dr. Alex Ekwueme, is also keeping his security aides. Though he was said to have travelled out of the country when our correspondent called at his Oko home in Orumba North Local Government Area of Anambra State, one of his close associates said he had his police orderly with him the last time he came home.
Also, former Governor of the state, Dr. Chris Ngige, is still making use of his four security personnel, it was gathered.
But prominent lawyers, including Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN) and a Lagos-based lawyer, Mr. Wahab Shittu, on Sunday told THE PUNCH that the provision of security details for top public officers was at the discretion of President Umaru Yar' Adua.
The lawyers said that since the President was the chief security officer of the country, it behoved on him to ensure that the vice - president, the governors, their deputies and former leaders were adequately protected.
The legal practitioners, who spoke to our correspondent in separate interviews, said it was regrettable that the discretion was being manipulated by the Presidency for political reasons.
Sagay said, "There is no law that backs the issue of provision of security details for political leaders. But the President, who is also the Commander- in -Chief, has the discretion to give security details to these leaders."