SWAT: All You Need to Know About

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Newly formed SWAT storm Enugu town hall meeting, kill monarch

Contents

As always AUTHENTIC NEWS GIANT is curating all you need to know about SWAT, the Police Unit that replaced the Special Anti-robbery Squad SARS.

As we all know that the Police Chief of Nigeria also know as the Inspector General of Police IGP Adamu Mohammed has disbanded SARS for brutality and unprofessional conducts towards innocent citizens in Nigeria.

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What is the meaning of SWAT

SWAT means Special Weapons and Tactics as unit set up to fill the gaps arising from the dissolution of the defunct SARS.

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.

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.

Mandate of the SWAT Team

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

  1. Response to robbery attacks
    2, Response to scenes of weapon-related crimes
  2. Rescue Operations
  3. 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.

Structure and Composition of SWAT


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.

Selection Criteria of SWAT

The criteria for the selection of officers and men of the SWAT Teams are as follows:
Age – must be between the ages of 25 – 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.

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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 examinations 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. 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.

Kits and Accoutrements of SWAT

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.

Training Programme of SWAT


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 Tearns will have their personnel trained during the second and subsequent phases of the training.

Here are things you nned to know

Prospective members of this new team will undergo psychological and medical examination to ascertain their fitness and eligibility for the new assignment.

These members are to commence training at the different Police tactical training institutions nationwide, next week.

The training schedules are as follows;

Police Commands in the South-East and the South-South will be trained at the Counter-Terrorism College, Nonwa-Tai, Rivers State

Police Commands from the North will be trained at the Police Mobile Force Training College, Ende, Nasarawa State

AUTHENTIC ALSO POSTED: SWAT TO REPLACE SARS

Police Commands from the South-West will be trained at the Police Mobile Force Training College, Ila-Orangun, Osun State

The IGP ordered all operatives of the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) to report at the Force Headquarters, Abuja for debriefing, psychological and medical examination.

The medical examination will be carried out by the newly set-up Police Counselling and Support Unit (PCSU), a unit, which henceforth shall engage in psychological management, re-orientation and training of officers of the Force deployed for tactical operations and other duties.

The Police Counselling and Support Unit will consist of psychiatrists, psychologists, medics, pastors and imams, Public Relations practitioners, Civil Society and other Human Rights groups with relevant qualifications and expertise

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