FCT Special Intervention Squad Deployed to Combat Kidnappings and Banditry

In a bid to address the rising wave of kidnappings and banditry, particularly in border towns within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Inspector-General of Police Olukayode Egbetokun has officially inaugurated the Special Intervention Squad.

The squad is tasked with patrolling and securing communities along the FCT’s borders, intervening to prevent and mitigate violent attacks in the nation’s capital.

Following the Nigeria Police Force’s announcement in late 2023, the deployment of 40,000 operatives from the Special Intervention Squad, currently undergoing training, will begin in Katsina and nine other states, including the FCT.

The Force Headquarters disclosed that commanders of the squad will undergo specialized training in Mexico. The deployment to these carefully selected states is a pilot initiative to test the effectiveness of the Special Intervention Squad.

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Inspector-General Egbetokun, who declared the establishment of the Special Intervention Squad as a priority in his administration’s efforts to combat violent crime, emphasized that the squad would act as a standby team of specially trained officers ready to intervene swiftly in major security incidents.

During an event in Owerri, the IG stated that the remaining 27 states would follow the initial deployment to the 10 pilot states, based on a recent violent crime assessment conducted across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

In an exclusive interview with our correspondent, Force Public Relations Officer ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi clarified that the Special Intervention Squad would operate differently from the defunct Special Anti-Kidnapping Squad, addressing concerns about potential human rights abuses. He stressed that the operatives, drawn from the Police Mobile Force and other units, would not be involved in escort duties. Commanders of the squads will operate under the command of Commissioners of Police in their respective states.

Adejobi stated, “The SIS is not SARS. People have been asking questions whether or not it’ll operate like SARS? No. The SIS are basically operational men, it is majorly Police Mobile Force operatives, CTU operatives, and our tactical squad operatives that’ll come together under the command of a very senior police officer, either an ACP or a CSP that’ll be the commander in each state, and they’re not going to be doing stop and search work or pursuing ‘Yahoo Boys.’ They’re specifically for intervention purposes.”

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He further mentioned that the Special Intervention Squad’s training is ongoing, with commanders undergoing a train-the-trainer course, and additional training sessions planned in Mexico.

It’s crucial to note that the Inspector-General’s directive to withdraw Police Mobile Force personnel from VIP escort/guard duties is part of a broader strategy to reassign them to the Special Intervention Squad. Adejobi emphasized that this move does not imply a blanket ban on all police officers providing VIP escort services, and specialized police escorts will continue to be provided by units such as the Special Protection Unit (SPU). The intention is to streamline security measures and enhance the internal security architecture of the country.