LAGOS, June 27 (Xinhua) -- Nigerian police announced on Monday the establishment of a special intervention squad to be deployed to areas plagued by unrest and turmoil in the country.
Speaking at a meeting with top police officers in the Nigerian capital of Abuja on Monday, acting Inspector General of Police Olukayode Egbetokun said the new squad would consist of some 40,000 officers selected from existing police forces.
The officers will undergo intensive pre-deployment training to make them combat-ready for frontline operational duties in all states of the country, and the first batch of 1,000 personnel from the squad would be deployed to each state as a standby intervention unit, Egbetokun said.
He described the squad as a well-equipped "dedicated force" that will bolster the police's capacity to respond swiftly and decisively to security threats in every corner of the country.
The squad would be deployed to more troubled areas, he said, noting that the officers will not perform routine police duties but will be kept combat-ready at all times.
"They will be deployed to intervene rapidly and proactively in any situation necessary in their states of assignment," he said.
Armed attacks have been a primary security threat in Nigeria. Several militant groups, including Boko Haram and the Islamic State, are active in the country, leading to attacks on both civil and military targets in recent months. ■
