On Wednesday the Nigeria Police have announced that members of the defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) will not be deployed to the Special Weapons and Tactics Team (SWAT).
The Force Headquarters confirmed this development.
Frank Mba, Public Relations Officer, gave five ‘important facts’ about the new unit.
The points are: No personnel of the defunct SARS will be selected to be part of the new Tactical Team;
Operations of the new Tactical Team will be strictly intelligence driven;
Members of the new Tactical Team will by no means embark on routine patrols;
The new team are barred from indiscriminate and unlawful search of phones and laptops;
Operatives must be free of any disciplinary matter especially those touching on misuse of firearms or abuse of human rights.
The Police had ordered all SARS personnel to report to Abuja.
The security agency also assured that prospective SWAT members will undergo psychological and medical examination to ascertain their fitness and eligibility
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 in the North and South-West will be trained at the Police Mobile Force Training College, Nasarawa State and the Police Mobile Force Training College, Osun State, respectively.
