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Establishment, Composition and Training of Nigeria Police SWAT to Replace the Disbanded SARS

Politics	3757 VIEWS
Politics
3757 VIEWS

Friday, October 16, 2020 / 01:52 PM / by Office of The IGP / Header Image Credit: Twitter; @PoliceNG

Following the dissolution of the Special Anti-Robbery Squads (SARS) in all Police Formations and State Commands across the country, approval is hereby given for the establishment of Special Weapons and Tactics Team (SWAT) as the new operational framework to replace the disbanded Squads.

2. The new SWAT outfit will comprise of officers and men that will be selected based on clearly defined criteria and they will be specially trained in weapons handling and tactical operations. They shall also be oriented to operate within very high professional and ethical standards, rule of law dictates and best international policing practices that will align with our national democratic values and yearnings of the citizens.

3. Mandate of the SWAT Team

The mandate of the SWAT Team will be strictly intelligence-led and limited to the following:

Response to robbery attacks
Response to scenes of weapon-related crimes
Rescue Operations
Special Operations involving high-profile criminals that constitute threats to national security including anti-banditry, counterterrorism and counter-insurgency operations which will require special tactical response.

4. Structure and Composition

The SWAT Outfit shall comprise of a State Commander, Second-in-Command and thirty-six (36) other officers and men. The breakdown is as follows:

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It is to be noted that in the long-term, the number of SWAT Teams per state will be expanded based on the assessment of the security realities of each State Command.

5. Selection Criteria:

The criteria for the selection of officers and men of the SWAT Teams are as follows:

Age - must be between the ages of 2 5 - 40 years for operational elements and between the ages of 35 - 45 years for command elements.
Service - must have not less than seven (7) years policing service experience.
Physical Fitness- must be physically fit to withstand the rigour of SWAT Training and Operation. Physical fitness test will include Cooper's Test.
Medical and Psychological Fitness- must be certified as medically, emotionally and psychologically fit. All personnel will as a critical pre-requisite undergo and pass medical examination, psychometry and toxicological screening for drug of abuse which will be conducted by the Police Medical Services during training and those found to be unsuitable shall be discharged.
Discipline - must not have any pending disciplinary matter or any serious previous record of professional misconduct touching on intemperate behaviour, incivility to members of the public, corrupt practices and misuse of firearms among others.
Eligibility - Officers and Men to be Selected must not be one of the personnel in the recently dissolved Special Anti-Robbery Squad.

6. Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)

Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) which will act as the protocol that will regulate the processes, conduct and operations of the SWAT Teams is being developed. The officers and operatives of the Outfit shall be held accountable based on the extent of their compliance with the SOP.

7. Kits and Accoutrements

Personnel of the Outfit shall be kitted with specially branded uniforms, kits and accoutrements. Under the new policy, no personnel will be authorized to use any uniform, kits or accoutrements other than as approved for the Outfit and officially issued to them. On no account must they also undertake any operation without the branded items. The details of this shall be contained in the Standard Operating Procedure of the Outfit.

8. Training Programme

No personnel of the team shall be engaged without being screened, specially trained and certified as a SWAT Officer. The basic training will be three weeks long and shall be conducted at the PMF Training College, Illa-Orogun, Osun State; PMF Training College, Ende Hills, Nasarawa State; and PTS Nonwa-Tai, Rivers State commencing from Sunday 18th October, 2020.

The first batch of the training shall comprise of fifty (50) officers and men to be selected from the FCID, the 36 State Police Commands and the FCT. It is to be noted that the selected personnel will be screened and their suitability ascertained at the Training Institutions. State Commands that require additional SWAT Teams will have their personnel trained during the second and subsequent phases of the training.

9. Training Schedule

The Training will hold simultaneously at the three (3) designated Police Colleges I School as scheduled below

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10. Order and Directives

In order to facilitate the immediate take-off of the newly approved NPF-SWAT Team, it is directed as follows:

1. The DIG FCID and Commissioners of Police in each of the 36 States of the Federation and the FCT are to screen and select a total of fifty (50) officers and men from each of their commands with the following breakdown:

CSP -2
SP -2
DSP -5
ASP - 5
INSPR & NCOs - 30
NCO (Drivers)- 6

2. The selection of the officers and men MUST take cognisance of the Selection Criteria listed in Page 2 Paragraph 5.

3. The DIG FCID and each Commissioner of Police across all the State Police Commands are to arrange and transport the fifty (50) selected officers in their respective Command to the Training Colleges I School for which they are scheduled as contained in Page 4 -5.

4. All the officers and men MUST arrive and do cum en t on Sunday 18th October, 2020 at their designated training facility

5. The selected personnel to come along with basic training kits including canvass, white and black T -Shits; dark grey trousers; combat dresses and track suits.

6. The ranks, names and ages of the nominated personnel should be forwarded to the Office of the Inspector General of Police, DIG Training and Development, and the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Peacekeeping Directorate, FHQ, Ahuja) not later than Friday 16th October, 2020.

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