IGP Sets up Special Intervention Squad, as Tinubu Promises Enhanced Wages

By Tony Icheku in Owerri

 Inspector-general Of Police, Kayode  Egbetokun, on Monday announced the setting up of Special Intervention Squad (SIS), ‘a standby team of specially trained officers to rapidly intervene in major incidents’ in ten (10) pilot States identified as prone to violent crimes .

In a related development,  President Bola Tinubu in his paper  presented by the Minister of Police Affairs, Sen. Ibrahim Gaidam, shared his vision for enhanced funding, better wages and welfare of the police and assured of his administration’s commitment to the ideals of the institution in the interest of the Nigerian society.

Host of the retreat, Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma in his address called for increased funding for the Police, urging the National Assembly to initiate a bill for “a special police fund”, where a special percentage from the Federation Account should be reserved for continuous and sufficient funding of the police. Additionally, high networth corporate concerns, including banks, should mandatorily contribute a specified percentage of their annual profit to the envisaged Police Fund. 

Egbetokun and Uzodimma spoke at the opening ceremony of the Conference and Retreat for senior police officers,  a gathering of strategic security managers  comprising  Deputy Inspectors-General of Police; Assistant Inspectors-General of Police;  Commissioners of Police and other Heads of strategic formations of the Nigeria Police Force which held at Landmark Event Centre, New Owerri 

The IGP in his opening remarks explained that the theme of this year’s conference and retreat “Fostering Economic Prosperity, Social Integration and Political Development through Enhanced Internal Security Mechanism” is derived from the policing vision of the new police leadership in the country

 He described the vision of the new police leadership as “Emplacing a professionally competent, service driven, rule of law compliant and citizen friendly police force which will support the agenda of government in fostering economic recovery and growth as well as social integration and political development of Nigeria”. 

The police boss, speaking further on the establishment of the Special Intervention Squad explained that when fully in operation, it  will increase the Nigerian Police fighting power against terrorism, armed banditry and other violent crimes.He added that after the take-off in ten pilot States,  the other Twenty (27) states will immediately follow, noting that  specialised training would start in November for  the initial team of instructors for the SIS

The Police boss also disclosed that  international security cooperation between Nigeria and  the Chinese government had yielded an offer from the Chinese  to train fifteen (15) Nigerian Police Officers drawn from  various Police investigation units including NPF Cyber-crime centre, Interpol section, Intelligence Response Unit (IRT), Technical Intelligence Unit (TIU), Special Tactical Squad (STS), Special Investigation Unit (SIU)- Cyber Crime in China 

He further added that the International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs of the United States had offered to train Forty (40) officers in training  with respect to the Force initiative to build a cloud database, equip Police Formations across the country with renewable energy sources to complement power supply and enhance,  creation of sex offenders register and digitization of police operations nationwide. 

 Imo Governor Uzodimma, quoting from the 1999 Constitution as amended,  justified his call for increased funding for the Police, arguing that the police have omnibus roles in both the protection of lives and property and the prevention of crime generally. 

“With the aforementioned duties expected of the police, there is no doubt that they have the most crucial role to play in ‘Fostering National Unity through Enhanced Internal Security Mechanisms’, which is the theme of this conference. The natural question, therefore, is whether the police have been adequately empowered in terms of personnel, training, and logistics to perform this crucial role? This scrutiny is needful because having the relevant laws is important, but adequately equipping the police for the onerous task is even more important”, he maintained.