Acting Inspector General of Police (IGP), Alkali Usman, has asserted that the disbandment of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) had weakened efforts by the force to confront insecurity frontally in Nigeria.
This is coming on the heels of the announcement from the police chief that his men had arrested those involved in the March 20, 2021, failed attack on Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State.
He maintained that the morale of his men had been seriously dampened by the #EndSARS protests and subsequent attacks in the South East.
The IGP, who spoke yesterday during a press briefing organised by the Presidential Communications Team at the State House, Abuja, stated that the Special Weapons And Tactics (SWAT) squad, established in October 2020 to bridge the vacuum created by the disbanded FSARS, was yet to take off.
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Explaining that regular police personnel has not fitted in, Usman, however, assured the citizenry that efforts were on to train them for the new roles.
The police boss said the force had recorded successes against secessionists and criminals in the South East.
He lamented that they could not be immediately handed over for prosecution due to the ongoing strike by the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN).
On insurgency and what the authorities are doing to tackle the financiers, the IGP said many of the sponsors had been held and their level of involvement is determined by the police before bringing them to justice.
‘Yes, in any kind of coordinated, targeted, and organised crime such as this, the leaders behind it can be within or outside the country. You cannot say these are the leaders and where they are operating. Some of them are unknown, but not within our region to bring them to book. Some are here, and we have many in our custody. We are looking into their level of involvement with a view to arraigning them before a competent court. Then the issue of looking for others is continuing,‘ he said.
AFRICA TODAY NEWS, NEW YORK