The Inspector-General of Police, Olukayode Egbetokun, has launched the Special Intervention Squad in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, to address the activities of kidnapping, kidnappers and bandits, particularly in border towns within the territory.
The squad will oversee the patrolling and security of communities along the FCT’s borders, intervening to control and mitigate violent attacks in the nation’s capital.
This comes amid rising insecurity in Abuja and its environs. Many civilians have been abducted and killed in the FCT in the last few days.
The Nigeria Police Force disclosed in late 2023 that the deployment of 40,000 operatives undergoing training would commence in Katsina and nine other states, including the FCT.
The proposed commanders for the squad will undergo training in Mexico, and the deployment to the 10 selected states aims to pilot the activities of the Special Intervention Squad.
Egbetokun announced the establishment of the SIS as a primary project of his administration following his assumption of office in June.
He emphasised that the SIS would consist of specially trained officers ready to intervene swiftly in significant security incidents, aligning with his administration’s priority to combat the country’s threat of violent crime.
