Mohammed Adamu, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) has announced the formation of a new unit in the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).

The new unit of the force named, Special Weapons and Tactics Team (SWAT) replaces the scrapped Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) dissolved on Sunday.

This was made known in a statement by police spokesman, Frank Mba, in a Tuesday statement wherein officers of the abolished police unit were asked to report at the force headquarters for screening, according to The Guardian. 

The statement reads: “The Inspector-General of Police, IGP M.A. Adamu, NPM, mni has, today, 13th October 2020, in accordance with Section 18 (10) of the Police Act 2020, ordered all personnel of the defunct SARS to report at the Force Headquarters, Abuja for debriefing, psychological and medical examination."

“The officers are expected to undergo this process as a prelude to further training and reorientation before being redeployed into mainstream policing duties.

“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 Unit, which is domiciled with the Force Medical Department and coordinated by the Force Medical Officer, has its membership drawn from amongst 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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“Meanwhile, the IGP has set up a new Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) Team that will fill the gaps arising from the dissolution of the defunct SARS. Prospective members of this new team will also undergo a psychological and medical examination to ascertain their fitness and eligibility for the new assignment.

“They are to commence training at the different Police tactical training institutions nationwide, next week. While personnel from the Police Commands in the South-East and the South-South will be trained at the Counter-Terrorism College, Nonwa-Tai, Rivers State, those from the Police Commands from the North and the South-West will be trained at the Police Mobile Force Training College, Ende, Nasarawa State and the Police Mobile Force Training College, Ila-Orangun, Osun State, respectively."

Just hours after Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday tried to pacify protesters by promising “extensive” reforms to stop the rising crisis of police brutality, another civilian was shot and killed by police during a protest in Surulere, Lagos State.

Protesters, who clamored for the dissolution of the unit, have continued to protest noting the government’s ineffectual promises of police reforms and investigations in the past.