Veteran journalist and publisher of Ovation Magazine, Dele Momodu, has strongly criticised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s recent directive banning the use of police escorts by VIPs, describing the move as politically motivated, poorly conceived, and potentially dangerous for national stability.
In a lengthy post on X on Tuesday, Momodu said he immediately sensed foul play when the policy was announced, arguing that the presidency’s communication strategy revealed deeper intentions.
“When it was announced that President Bola Tinubu had banned the use of police escorts by VIPs, I immediately smelled a rat,” he said.
According to him, the presidency’s media handlers intentionally circulated a questionable list of those purportedly affected by the directive to gauge public reaction.
“They deliberately included most unlikely names like Tinubu’s hatchet man, Nyesom Wike, Tinubu’s chief campaigner in 2023, Aisha Buhari, former Vice President, and Atiku Abubakar. It instantly became clear to me that Atiku was one of their main targets,” Momodu stated.
He added that he was not surprised when the list was later dismissed as fake, saying he had earlier predicted the move.
“I predicted correctly that the evil list will be disowned and denounced as fake within 24 hours, and it came to pass.”
Momodu argued that the drama surrounding the list was not an accident but part of a calculated pattern he had observed over the years.
“This was not about any conspiracy theory but based on my deep knowledge of Tinubu’s antics, mindset and modus operandi,” he said. “His fanatical acolytes will call it strategy. But what Tinubu is toying with is not only dangerous but gravely unprecedented.”
He accused the president of attempting to incite public resentment against wealthy and accomplished Nigerians who legally pay for police protection, instead of offering a practical reform of the VIP security structure.
“He is deliberately setting up the poor against the accomplished Nigerians who deserve maximum security. It is never a crime to be successful,” Momodu argued.
He suggested that if the president genuinely intended to reform the system, he would have used the opportunity to encourage the wealthy to fund additional police recruitment.
“If Tinubu’s intentions were genuine and holy, here’s an opportunity to get the privileged class to fund massive recruitments of new officers from the legion of unemployed youths,” he added.
The publisher also warned that exposing private-sector leaders and high-profile citizens to increased security risks could worsen Nigeria’s already fragile security landscape.
“No nation can afford to voluntarily expose its private and productive sectors to bandits and kidnappers. It is preposterously myopic and visionless,” he cautioned.
Momodu further alleged that the decision is part of a broader political plan to weaken opposition forces, particularly former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
“Their next move is to ensure that the Atikus who can provide robust opposition… must be denied security. Who will dare go out to campaign against him in this season of anomie?”
He also claimed that members of the ruling party would eventually secure alternative arrangements despite the purported ban. “Knowing our man, the APC apparatchiks will be protected through backdoor,” he said.
In a dramatic conclusion, Momodu warned that the president’s approach is steering the nation into danger. “Tinubu is leading Nigeria to Golgotha,” he declared.
The presidency has yet to respond to Momodu’s allegations, but political observers expect heightened debate as discussions around national security, political opposition, and VIP protection continue to intensify.
