Anambra State Police Command has prohibited security personnel from wearing masks while on duty. Commissioner of Police CP Ikioye Orutugu issued the directive through a statement released by Police Public Relations Officer SP Tochukwu Ikenga. The ban applies to all security operatives providing protection to Very Important Personalities (VIPs) within the state. Masks may only be used during authorised tactical operations.
The command expressed concern over the increasing number of security agents concealing their identities in public. It warned that unauthorised masking creates security risks and allows criminal elements to impersonate officers. The practice undermines public trust, accountability, and cooperation among security agencies. CP Orutugu stressed that identifiable personnel are essential for effective and coordinated operations.
All security agencies in Anambra are required to ensure their personnel are clearly identifiable during routine or protective duties. The directive excludes operations with official tactical clearance. The police reaffirmed commitment to professionalism and public safety.
CP Ikioye Orutugu's mask ban exposes how hidden faces in security details have blurred the line between protection and impersonation. When armed operatives operate anonymously during routine duties, citizens lose the ability to distinguish between legitimate officers and impostors. This directive may force other agencies to rethink the unchecked use of masked escorts by VIPs across Anambra. For ordinary Nigerians, visibility of security operatives could become a new benchmark for accountability.
