Ali Ndume, the Chief Whip of the Senate, has called on the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to remove police escorts assigned to lawmakers in the National Assembly and other politicians across the country.

In an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday, Ndume expressed his views on the matter, which were monitored by Vistanaij Media.

“I support the idea of taking away all their police officers. One senator will be accompanied by 10 policemen, while members of the House of Representatives have around seven each. This is for those who are mobile. Some even provide security for their wives and children. I am against this,” he stated.

The senator representing Borno South Senatorial District highlighted that Nigeria, with approximately 300,000 policemen, does not have enough resources to effectively police the entire country. As a result, he believes that police escorts for Very Important Personalities (VIPs) should be withdrawn in order to prioritize the safety of the general population.

“We should aim to have around 2 million police officers and 500,000 soldiers,” he suggested.

Ndume also called on President Bola Tinubu to provide security agencies with unlimited resources and support, including funding and weapons, to combat the challenges of banditry, kidnapping, and insurgency.

He further emphasized that if the issue of state police arises during the constitutional amendment process, he would not vote in favor of it, as he believes it would be susceptible to abuse by governors.