The Nigerian police have deployed officers of the new Special Weapons and Tactics Team (SWAT) in state commands, Minister of Police Affairs, Mohammad Dingyadi, has said.
Dingyadi disclosed this while featuring on Channels Television’s ‘Politics Today’ programme on Friday.
They (SWAT officers) have ended their training and they have been posted to the state police commands that brought them for training.
“They are there with them and they are performing the functions of the SWAT,” he said.
Following the nationwide #EndSARS protests last October, the then Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, disbanded the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) over allegations of human rights abuses and extrajudicial killings.
Adamu also announced the formation of SWAT operatives to replace the disbanded SARS.
About 1,850 members of SWAT were later trained at the Police Mobile Force Training School, Ila Oragun, Osun State and the PMF Training School, Ende Hills, Nasarawa State.
