…Insist that all police officers found guilty of injury and death to any victim must be prosecuted
After a meeting with the 36 states’ governors, the Inspector General of Police. Mohammed Adamu was advised to halt further proceedings on the proposed Special Weapon and Tactical Team (SWAT) till consultations with all stakeholders are carried out.
The governors argued that the quick transition from FSARS to the Special Weapon and Tactical Team (SWAT) is seen as a mere addressing FSARS in another garb
According to a communique of the meeting between the governors and the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu signed by the chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF). Dr. Kayode Fayemi,
“On the IGP’s plan to create SWAT, Governors stated that even though the effort might be necessary and in good faith, they argued that the timing is inauspicious as the mood of the nation negates it and may understandably be misinterpreted as a surreptitious move to dress FSARS in another garb”.
Accordingly, the communique of the meeting further said, “Governors agreed that there was need for greater consultation with the public before any decision is taken; Governors advised the IGP to immediately convene a meeting of all stakeholders and agree on a format of engagement with all State officials in order to address concerns; and that State leadership should meet simultaneously nationwide, to address matters arising.”
However, the communique said that the “governors were unanimous in their support for the IGP and endorsed his plan to carry out far-reaching reforms geared towards greater effectiveness, accountability and transparency; Members called for increased regularity in the meetings of the Nigeria Police Council in order for it to effectively carry out its regulatory and supervisory roles as contained in the Nigerian Constitution;”
The meeting stated that the governors emphasized that reforms must include the training and retraining of operatives on the rules of engagement with the general public; adding that Policing in Nigeria must ensure freedom for all Nigerians to carry out their lawful and legitimate businesses anywhere in the country without fear of harassment, intimidation or molestation;
Also, the governors advised that throughout the reform process, the room for consultation may include sessions and direct feedback from the public, stressing that there is no single solution that applies to all the 36 States of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory.
The communique of the meeting said that the “governors were unequivocal that all police officers who participated in the abuse or actions that might have led to injury or the death of innocent citizens must be fished out and brought to book while other Nigerians who have been adversely affected by police brutality or other actions that were injurious to them or their loved ones, should be compensated”
The communique of the meeting stated that “each state is to set up a panel for compensation to all victims and see to it that the necessary compensation is made to those who deserve them. This must be systematically done to ensure that nobody who deserves to be compensated, is left out”.
The NGF communique said that the Forum directed its Secretariat to work with the police authority to develop a framework for setting up a panel of enquiry across all States to determine claims and compensation;
The communique said that it is aware that some States have already started engaging protesters and urged all States that have not commenced same to invite all stakeholders in the matter to resolve these issues;
Governors also recommended that the IGP, the Police Service Commission and the Nigeria Police Council should immediately review the Remuneration and Emoluments of police officers and explore ways to fund this in order to incentivize and motivate police officers who have pledged themselves in service of the country.
According to the communique, “Governors enjoined the IGP to be ready to forge stronger partnerships with State governments and the civil society to improve civil relations between the Nigerian Police and the Nigerian Public;
“Governors also agreed that the concerns of the public went beyond a need for Police/FSARS reforms and included a demand for better governance; They noted the need to engage, consult the public and take decisions that address the underpinning issues leading to the protests; Members noted that some States had already started the process of engaging protesters and urged all States to engage all stakeholders for a collectively agreed resolution”, the communique stated.
The governors commended President Muhammadu Buhari who has acknowledged that the protests and demonstrations reflect genuine concerns of many Nigerians and urged for a speedy implementation of all the agreed points.
According to the communique of the meeting, the Inspector General of Police said that the new SWAT would be strictly intelligence driven Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) Team and that it will be constituted, to carry out tactical operations across the 36 States of the Federation and the FCT.
The communique said that the IGP informed the governors that after a psychological and medical evaluation, SWAT Officers will be trained and posted to all State Commands – about 50 per State, where they will operate only on intelligence-driven operation.
Accordingly, the IGP said that members of SWAT will not take part in routine operations but will operate specifically on intelligence after which they will return to their Commands.
The communique said that “the IGP assured Governors that he will leverage the provisions of the new Police Act 2020 to carry out extensive reforms within the Police and he pledged for the support, understanding and guidance of Governors to embark on the new reforms.”
In response, the governors acknowledged the concerns of many Nigerians especially youths that have been affected by the excesses of some officials of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS) and the Nigeria Police, adding that, “This notwithstanding, governors noted the efforts of officials of FSARS in their States, as they have greatly assisted in containing the increasing spate of kidnapping, armed robbery, cattle rustling, and other high end crimes particularly in the Northern States, where containing these criminal activities would have otherwise been very challenging. Members therefore expressed concern about the sweeping decision to scrap FSARS even while acknowledging the need to address its excesses.”
