—As SCID takes over SARS offices.
The hasty manner which the Special Anti Robbery squad SARS was disbanded and the haste in setting up another squad Special Weapon Tactical Squad SWAT to take over their operations has been identified as one of the obstacles confronting the deployment of SWATS personnel across the country to combat increasing cases of armed robbery and kidnapping.
Personnel of the newly created SWAT squad underwent intensive training at the Mobile Police training base in Nasarawa State which they have since completed according to investigation.
However, deploying the SWAT team to the various police commands to replace the disbanded SARS is being delayed as sources said the government has allegedly yet to provide them with the neccesary funding , operational vehicles , and other logistics including uniforms, boots and other tools they need to carry out their job.
Finances for the SWAT team is a big bottleneck as sources said there are allegedly yet any budget for the smooth take off of the squad in order for them work professionally.
A source said ” The SWAT squad has completed their training since two weeks ago and they are waiting deployment. What is actually stopping their deployment is finance and logistics. Which money are they going to use for cases investigation? Which vehicles are they going to use for patrol ? What about offices and provision of logistics, things like stationary and other tools like
Investigation rooms, gadgets, technology, and other United Nations approved standards of modern policing gadgets they require to carry out their jobs professionally?Government is yet to make provision for all these because of the hasty way the SWAT squad was established. The police is the only institution not financed as it should be financed . Policemen cater for their training. Any time we go for training we pay from our purse to be trained.”.
It can be recalled that Nigerian youth called for the scrapping of SARS over unprofessional behaviour which the IGP responded swiftly by dissolving the SARS to stop the nationwide street protest. The disbanded SARS was plagued with non or poor provision of fund for its operations among other problems as officials said they had to resort to charging victims and suspects of crime about N250,0000 in order to rise money for investigation activities ,buying of stationary and fuelling vehicles among other running costs were gotten from goodwill and extortion. Therefore, for the new SWAT to work professionally, the government would have to finance its operations one hundred percent so that its officials will not resort to tolling the ugly path of the disbanded SARS operatives.
Investigation further reveals that offices formally occupied by the disbanded SARS teams have been taken over by officials from the State Criminal Investigation Department SCID. The Deputy Commissioner of police in charge of SCID Panti Yaba Lagos Command DCP Yetunde Longe has been in charge of the disbanded SARS offices in Lagos . She and her officials from SCID Panti Yaba were seen in the disbanded SARS building but it is not clear if the disbanded SARS building will become the offices of the SWAT team or an extension of SCID Panti.
Armed robbers take advantage.
While Nigerians wait for SWAT, there are fears of increased armed robbery cases as the Yuletide and New Year festivities approach. It will however, take spirited efforts to tackle crime as police stations are burnt, officers killed and maimed, not to mention the looting of armoury. Generally, the morale of the policemen are low following what they suffered during the endsars protest and the resultant violence. Since the endsars incidents, policemen have withdrawn from the roads giving rooms to robbers to rob residents and motorists with impunity. The policemen’s absence has led to traffic snarl on major roads as motorists disregard traffic rules with no authority to caution, arrest and prosecute them.
In a viral video seen by our Correspondent, a bearded man sitting in his car was appealing to the Inspector General of Police to deploy policemen to the public.
The man who claimed he had witnessed a robbery attack , said the armed robbers have taken over the town and are having a field day. He was pleading with the IGP to roll out policemen as he stated that endsars protests have ended and the IGP should do the needful to secure lives and property.
Also , a resident in Lagos , who identified himself as Hardy narrated how 15 – 16 years olds were moving from one street to the other at the Ilesanmaja area of Lagos attacking residents with impunity. He added that the teenage robbers were snatching phones and bags. The residents call on the police to come to their rescue in tracking the suspects”.
Also , a business woman , narrated how she was robbed in broad day light at the Orile area of Lagos. She said she was on her way to deliver some weavon when a group of boys waylaid her and snatched the bags she was carrying. She said they made away with her handbag and the goods she was taking to her customers. She added that when she saw a policeman and reported the incident, the policeman shouted on her and told her off”.
Traffic robbers, who have been terrorizing residents were recently arrested by the police after a gun battle. Lagos state police command however assures residents of their safety. This assurance was given by the Commissioner of police CP Hakeem Odumosu during the arrest of suspects in the state.
The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said that Policemen attached to Morogbo and Victoria Island Divisions respectively, engaged and arrested some traffic armed robbers at various locations in the state.
He said, “On November 17, 2020, the Policemen attached to Morogbo Division, while on patrol on Badagry Expressway, engaged a gang of traffic armed robbers in a gun duel where one of the gang members fell while others fled.
The gang had earlier shot and injured a Corporal attached to the Police Border Patrol team around the area and dispossessed him of his motorcycle.
“Items recovered from the gang included a locally-made gun with some live cartridges and the Police Corporal’s snatched motorcycle” Adejobi said.
He hinted that Policemen attached to Victoria Island Division, on November 18, 2020, engaged another gang of suspected armed robbers and arrested a member of the gang, Ajayi Lateef, 19, with a dummy gun. The gang had robbed a tricycle at Victoria Island at the same date at about 1am.
Child and vulnerable persons rights suffering.
With the continued absence of policemen in their places of duty due to the burning of stations, investigations show that human rights advocates handling cases involving children and vulnerable persons abuse are funding it difficult to report such cases to the nearest police stations. Mr. Ebenezer Omejialile, the secretary of Advocates for Children and Vulnerable Persons Network said “Sincerely, we the interventionist are the most affected because of increased in various crimes and painfully no station to response to our plight, Survivors are on our neck the situation is hopeless with the negative outcome.
Like I mentioned two days ago those who choose to attack and kills police officers as a result of few officers who defaulted on the rules of engagement in the discharge of their duties, They should be ready to make peace with Criminal elements Bandits in their communities.
I pray our Police Comrades recover on time from the unfortunate incident
