By GARBA MUHAMMAD, Kaduna

Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje of Kano State has commended the quick response of the Inspector General of Police Muhammadu Adamu Abubakar over the replacement of Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS) with Special Weapons and Tactics Team (SWAT), as being responsive to the calls by Nigerians.

During a solidarity visit by a coalition of youth groups in the state, who gathered at the Government House Gate, Wednesday, and were received by the governor and all members of the State Executive Council, he congratulated the groups for cooperating with security agencies for the safety and security of the state.

“We noticed that there are protests in some sections of the country, while in Kano our youth have decided to take a good stand by not condemning the Police as an institution. But only condemned few bad eggs among them,” he said.

He asked rhetorically, “Without Police can we move freely in the country? We are only calling on the fishing out of the bad eggs among the institution. No more no less.”

Ganduje further appreciated that SWAT formation is a good step in the right direction, explaining that, “Reforming Police institution is what our youth here in Kano are agitating for. We are commending you for maintaining peace and order in the state.”

Letter of commendation to the President and the IGP were submitted to the governor, which he promised to deliver.

The leader of the youth Senator Khalid Sunusi Kano, who is also the National Coordinator of Coalition of Youth Groups, who spoke on behalf of all the youth, stated that, “It is indeed gratifying to note that events in the last few days have brought about a policy twist in the nation's security system.”

Commending the disbandment of SARS and replacing it with SWAT he said: “We commend President Muhammadu Buhari and the IGP for the prompt response as well as the gallant effort of Nigerians, particularly the youth for voicing genuine concerns for a better policing orientation in the country.”

Emphasising that, they were in the street in support of the planned reform for the Nigeria Police, and called on the IGP to further take practical steps to support and enforce the reform.

According to him, that could be achieved “by ensuring adequate funding of the Force and provision of all the needed equipments (gadgets) to enable it work according to international standard.”

Referring to the noble objective of the disbanded SARS, the leader of the youth groups insisted that, “We believe SARS, which has helped to reduce criminal activities in the country, was created as a unit in the Police Force with noble anti robbery intentions.

We hope that the Police authority, as promised by the IGP, will re-evaluate, restructure, rebrand and rebuild confidence in an efficient and effective anti-bribery tactical unit in the Force.”

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