Acting Inspector-General of Police, [IGP] Kayode Egbetokun has announced the creation of a Special Intervention Squad to curb for effective policing.
The new Police boss disclosed that the squad shall consist of 40,000 specially trained elite officers, selected from officers from the pool of existing Police Mobile Force (PMF) personnel and all tactical units in the country.
The IGP gave the directive when he met with Mobile Police Squadron and commanders at the Force headquarters in Abuja.
He said, “modalities for the creation of a new special squad – the Special Intervention Squad have been initiated. This special squad shall consist of 40,000 specially trained elite officers. The Squad will be formed by selecting officers from the pool of existing Police Mobile Force (PMF) personnel and all tactical units in the country.
“These officers will undergo intensive pre-deployment training to make them combat ready for frontline operational duties in all the states of the Federation, with a particular focus on areas plagued with unrest and turmoil. By pooling together the expertise and experience of our PMF personnel and other tactical units, we can establish a formidable force that is well-equipped to handle the evolving challenges we face.
“This dedicated force will bolster our capacity to respond swiftly and decisively to security threats, ensuring that our presence is felt and our response is effective in every corner of our country.
“1,000 personnel from this new squad will be deployed to every state of the Federation for immediate operations as standby intervention units, while more troubled spots or zones will receive the remaining officers out of the 40,000.
“These officers will not perform routine police duties but will be housed and kept combat-ready at all times engaging in daily training in readiness for deployments to intercept and neutralize high-profile criminals and those terrorizing our communities. They will be deployed to intervene rapidly and proactively in any situation necessary in their states of assignment.”