Breaking: SWAT Team To Replace SARS

New Tactical Team to Commence Training immediately 

The Inspector General of Police, IGP M.A. Adamu has in accordance with Section 18 (10) of the Police Act 2020, ordered all personnel of the defunct SARS to report at the Force Headquarters, Abuja for debriefing, psychological and medical examination.

The officers are expected to undergo this process as a prelude to further training and reorientation before being redeployed into mainstream policing duties.

According to a statement issued by DCP Frank MBA, Police PRO, the medical examination will be carried out by the newly set-up Police Counselling and Support Unit (PCSU), a Unit, which henceforth shall engage in psychological management, re-orientation and training of officers of the Force deployed for tactical operations and other duties.

The Unit, which is domiciled with the Force Medical Department and coordinated by the Force Medical Officer, has its membership drawn from amongst psychiatrists, psychologists, medics, pastors and imams, Public Relations practitioners, Civil Society and other Human Rights groups with relevant qualifications and expertise.

Meanwhile, the IGP has set up a new Special Weapons And Tactics (SWAT) Team that will fill the gaps arising from the dissolution of the defunct SARS. Prospective members of this new team will also undergo psychological and medical examination to ascertain their fitness and eligibility for the new assignment. They are to commence training at the different Police tactical training institutions nationwide, next week.

Personnel from the Police Commands in the South-East and the South-South will be trained at the Counter-Terrorism College, Nonwa-Tai, Rivers State, those from the Police Commands from the North and the South-West will be trained at the Police Mobile Force Training College, Ende, Nasarawa State and the Police Mobile Force Training College, Ila-Orangun, Osun State, respectively.

While reaffirming his irrevocable commitment towards the successful and holistic implementation of the Police reforms, the IGP enjoins members of the public, particularly protesting citizens to exercise restraint and allow measures being put in place to come to fruition and engender a Police Force that would meet the yearnings and aspirations of the citizenry.  He further assures Nigerians that "The issue of any Police unit going to look into people's phones, which is supposed to be their private property, or looking at the type of vehicle they are using, or profiling them to see whether they are yahoo boys or not—that era is gone and it is not acceptable”.

SWAT are usually trained and experienced policemen who are thought the art of weapons. SWAT is only called upon whenever there is an emergency which is very tough for the police to handle. This means that SWAT teams don't usually stay on roads like the previous SARS, which were recently dissolved, as it also means that stop and search, bribery and extortion will be put to an end. SWAT teams are usually equipped and trained to deploy with hard weapons, in case of robbery threats, hostage-taking, and situations beyond the capabilities of  normal police officers.

What do you think about this new SWAT team which has just been instituted by the Nigerian police force? Who is to oversee the activities of the SWAT and who curtailed their excesses to avoid the repeat of SARS experience? Please let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.