The spokesperson of the Nigeria Police Force, Frank Mba, has said that no personnel of the defunct Special Anai-Robbery Squad (SARS) unit will be selected to be part of the new Tactical team SWAT.
Recall that the police on Tuesday 13th October announced that a new tactical team named the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) Team, has been created to replace the disbanded SARS.
Many Nigerians however protested against this move, saying that the new SWAT team will not be different from the defunct SARS since the same officers will run the same unit.
Frank Mba through a press release shared on Wednesday evening 14th October, said that no personnel from the defunct SARS will be part of the SWAT team.
He also stated that operatives in the tactical team are not allowed to indiscriminately and unlawfully search phones, laptops, and other smart devices of Nigerians.
Mba pointed out some important facts about the newly created tactical team, which includes;
-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
-Members of the new TACTICAL team are barred from the indiscriminate and unlawful search of phones, laptops, and other smart devices.
-Operatives of the new TACTICAL team must be free of any pending disciplinary matter especially those touching on misuse of firearms and abuse of human rights.
He pointed out that the sole responsibility of the new tactical team will be;
– Response to Robbery attacks
-Response to scenes of weapon-related crimes
-Rescue operations
-Special operations involving high profile criminals
