The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, has announced that preparations are in place for the successful launch of the Special Intervention Squad (SIS) in ten pilot states.
He revealed this during his address at the opening ceremony of the Conference and Retreat for Senior Police Officers held at the Landmark Event Centre in Owerri, Imo State, on Monday.
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The IGP explained that the establishment of the Squad, comprising specially trained officers ready to swiftly respond to major incidents, is a top priority in his administration’s efforts to address violent crimes in the country.
After identifying the ten pilot states through a recent violent crime assessment conducted in all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, the remaining 27 states will follow suit.
The IGP said, “The Police Force under my watch is poised to confront head on the menace of violent crimes in our country, restore calm to troubled areas and engender an atmosphere of peace, safety and security which will promote national economic growth and prosperity.
“The establishment of a Special Intervention Squad (SIS), a standby team of specially trained officers to rapidly intervene in major incidents which was immediately announced on my assumption of office is considered immediate priority in this effort.
“The Squad will be deployed in each command to deal with the state’s salient security challenges. Concrete steps have already been taken to facilitate the smooth take-off of the SIS in Ten (10) pilot states, already identified based on the recent violent crime assessment carried out in all the Thirty-six (36) states of the federation and the FCT, while the other Twenty (27) states will immediately follow.”
He also acknowledged President Bola Tinubu’s approval for the specialized training of the initial team of SIS instructors, set to begin next month.
