In Anambra: Police Raise Security Concerns Over Masked Escorts for VIPs

The Anambra State Police Command on Sunday raised an alarm over a growing presence of some security operatives who conceal their identities while providing protection to Very Important Personalities (VIPs) within the State.

The Command noted that while security duties often requires tactical discretion, the act of masking identities without proper authorisation raises significant security concerns.

Anambra State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Tochukwu Ikenga said that such practices, not only poses a potential threat to public safety but also undermine trust, accountability, and the integrity of inter-agency collaboration.

To this end, he disclosed that the State Commissioner of Police, Ikioye Orutugu has reiterate that identifiable security personnel remains a critical component of coordinated security operations, especially in an environment that demands synergy among various agencies.

“The use of masks by operatives, particularly in non-operational or public-facing assignments such as VIP protection, makes it difficult to verify legitimacy and could be exploited by criminal elements to perpetrate unlawful acts under the guise of security duties”, he said

The Police Commissioner, he added has therefore, called on all security agencies operating within the State to ensure that their personnel are properly identified at all times while on routine or protective duties, except in clearly defined tactical operations sanctioned by appropriate authorities.

He stated that the State Police Command remains dedicated to upholding professionalism, accountability, and public trust in the discharge of its constitutional responsibilities.