In keeping with his promise, the Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun on Monday opened a training programme for the commanders of the newly launched Special Intervention Squad (SIS) in Abuja.
To prepare the commanders for their new responsibilities of taking the lead in combating the scourge of kidnapping, banditry, armed robbery, terrorism, and other evolving challenges of crime facing the society, the Nigerian Police Force and the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) organised the training.
The Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, declared the training open and stated that the initiative is essential to protecting the lives and property of every Nigerian while ensuring the supremacy of the state and the rule of law. He also noted that the Special Intervention Squad was established to address security situations that threaten citizen peace and restore law and order throughout the country.
“Without mincing words, our country, like many other parts of the globe, is experiencing security challenges arising from the activities of the criminal elements seeking to undermine the peace and security of our nation. This development demands an instant and appropriate response from us as the lead agency in the internal security architecture of the country, the IGP said.
He further reiterated, “The situation at hand has challenged our ingenuity such that beyond the conventional reactive response approach to crime management, we conceived the idea of the Special Intervention Squad, to serve as an elite unit of the Force, designed to anticipate, respond spontaneously and manage a crisis.
The IGP said “With the conception of the SIS, mobilisation of officers and men, it is only logical that the men be given specialised training to enable them to imbibe new skills and orientation, which will adequately prepare them for the task ahead.
“The Force in this drive found a willing and dependable ally in the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), an agency of the American Government, which volunteered to train the officers of the SIS. A major leap towards achieving this was achieved with the formal signing, on Monday 18th of December, 2023, of the Memorandum of Understanding {MoU}, between the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Government of United States of America.
“The event today therefore is a major milestone towards the full operationalisation of the SIS across the length and breadth of our country.
The Squad was primarily formed to address any crisis jeopardising public safety and reestablish law and order throughout the country. The initiative is essential to ensuring the rule of law and the importance of the state, protecting our country’s integrity and every Nigerian’s life and property.
38 officers in total are enrolled in the training; they are reported to have been carefully chosen to be the pioneers based on their competency, integrity, performance history, proven dedication to the cause of justice, and assignment fit.
Speaking during the programme, the AIG Police Mobile Force, AIG Yekini Adio Ayoku thanked the IGP for making the training possible.
He said that the 38 officers selected for the training went through a rigorous selection and are fully prepared for the training.
In his remarks, Mr. Jason Smith, Director of Narcotics at the US Embassy, who represented the US Ambassador, said that training is in line with the vision of the Nigeria police; To make Nigeria safer and more secure for economic development and growth; to create a safe and secure environment for everyone living in Nigeria as well as its vision; to partner with other relevant Security Agencies and the public in gathering, collating and sharing information and intelligence to ensure the safety and security of the country.
