Popular journalist and publisher, Dele Momodu, has alleged that the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is using the controversial VIP escort withdrawal to target opposition figures and influence public sentiment.

The development began after an online list circulated claiming that several prominent Nigerians had been stripped of their police escorts.

The list included former First Lady Aisha Buhari, FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

Although the police later described the list as fake, the uproar it generated drew sharp reactions across the country.

Momodu, in a strongly worded commentary titled Why Are Nigerians So Easily Fooled?, argued that the entire controversy was a deliberate political experiment.

He said those behind the list wanted to test how Nigerians would react to the idea of withdrawing security from high-profile individuals, especially those outside government circles.

According to him, the inclusion of certain names was not accidental but part of what he described as a calculated attempt by government-aligned actors to manipulate public opinion.

Momodu insisted that the whole scenario was aimed at weakening a number of influential figures who remain critical of the administration.

“I instantly smelled a rat,” he wrote, suggesting that the intention was to provoke anger and turn citizens against successful or wealthy Nigerians.

“They deliberately included most unlikely names… It became clear to me that Atiku was one of their main targets.”

Momodu noted that Atiku Abubakar, being a former vice president, is constitutionally entitled to security protection and should not even be part of such a conversation.

He maintained that the fake list was nothing more than a “test balloon” released to prepare the ground for future actions.

The newspaper publisher added that he was not surprised when the list was eventually disowned because he had “predicted correctly within 24 hours” that the authorities would walk back the claims once public emotions shifted.

Expanding on his criticism, Momodu accused the Tinubu administration of attempting to paint wealthy Nigerians in a negative light, especially those who legally engage police personnel for private protection.

He warned that such tactics could have severe consequences in a country struggling with rising kidnappings and violent crime.

According to him, “Tinubu is willing and ready to set fire to an entire village in order to catch a few rodents. His motives are not pure.”

Momodu argued that a sincere reform of VIP security would involve recruiting more police officers and allowing private-sector beneficiaries to legitimately fund such expansion. He described the current approach as shortsighted and dangerous.

“No nation can afford to voluntarily expose its private and productive sectors to bandits and kidnappers,” he wrote. “It is preposterously myopic and visionless.”

He further alleged that the withdrawal of escorts—whether real or staged—was designed to make opposition figures more vulnerable while creating room for political allies to retain protection behind the scenes.

Momodu warned that the strategy fits into a broader attempt to silence “robust opposition” voices ahead of future political battles.

“Their next move is to ensure that the Atikus who can provide robust opposition… must be denied of security,” he claimed.

Momodu ended with a stark message about the nation’s direction, stating, “Tinubu is leading Nigeria to Golgotha.”