The Nigerian Police Force through the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Mohammed Adamu disbanded the police unit Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) on Sunday, acquiescing to the demands of protesters across the world in the #EndSARS protests.
Shortly thereafter, the IGP announced the creation of a new tactical unit called SWAT (Special Weapons and Tactics Team) which many have described as a ‘knee jerk reaction.’
Today, however, the Force Public Relations Officer, Frank Mba, gave five ‘important facts’ about the new unit:
- No personnel of the defunct SARS will be selected to be part of the new Tactical Team;
2. Operations of the new Tactical Team will be strictly intelligence-driven;
3. Members of the new Tactical Team will by no means embark on routine patrols;
4. The new team are barred from indiscriminate and unlawful search of phones and laptops;
5. Operatives must be free of any disciplinary matter especially those touching on misuse of firearms or abuse of human rights.
Furthermore, SARS personnel have been asked to report to the NPF headquarters. IGP Adamu has assured that SARS officers will undergo a psychological evaluation as well as members of the new SWAT team to evaluate their fitness and eligibility.
