Anambra: Police raise alarm over increasing ‘masked’ security personnel guarding VIPs

The Anambra State Police Command on Sunday raised the alarm over the increasing number of masked security personnel guarding Very Important Personalities (VIPs) in the state and across the country, warning of the potential security implications.

Commissioner of Police in Anambra State, CP Ikioye Orutugu, raised the alarm in a statement to newsmen conveyed by SP Tochukwu Ikenga, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in Awka, the state capital, expressing serious concern over the growing trend.

He noted that the practice of security operatives concealing their identities while protecting VIPs portends grave danger.

The Command stated that while security duties often require tactical discretion, masking identities without proper authorization raises significant security concerns.

It expressed “serious concern over the growing trend of some security operatives concealing their identities while providing protection to Very Important Personalities (VIPs) within the State.”

According to Ikenga, “Such practices not only pose a potential threat to public safety but also undermine trust, accountability, and the integrity of inter-agency collaboration.”

CP Ikioye Orutugu therefore “reiterates that identifiable security personnel remain a critical component of coordinated security operations, especially in an environment that demands synergy among various agencies.”

He warned that “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.”

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The CP 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.

“Anambra State Police Command remains dedicated to upholding professionalism, accountability, and public trust in the discharge of its constitutional responsibilities,” the statement added.