The Commissioner of Police in Oyo State, Mr Abimbola Olugbenga has said that the newly established Violent Crimes Response Unit would further ensure adequate protection of citizens’ rights.
Olugbenga stated this at the beginning of training of 75 selected personnel for the newly established unit, on Monday at the command’s Eleyele, Ibadan, headquarters .
Newsextra24 reports that VCRU is a tactical outfit introduced by the Inspector-General of Police (I-G), Olatunji Disu, to replace the erstwhile tactical teams across the country.
A statement by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Ayanlade Olayinka, made available to journalists on Tuesday in Ibadan, quoted Olugbenga as saying only officers who attain commendable performances and demonstrate exceptional professionalism would eventually be drafted into the VCRU.
He said VCRU aimed at strengthening professionalism in the discharge of policing duties with strict adherence to global best practices.
The CP said that the 75 selected officers comprising male and female, were drawn from the officer cadre and rank-and-file across Divisions, the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), and other formations within the command.
The officers, Olugbenga said, were subjected to thorough administrative scrutiny, intelligence and background checks, as well as psychological vetting processes before being considered suitable for the training programme.
“This measure deliberately put in place to ensure that only competent, disciplined, and emotionally stable personnel are entrusted with the responsibilities of the specialised unit,” he said.
The CP also said that the selected officers would undergo an intensive training programme at the 4 Police Mobile Force (PMF), and would be trained on advanced tactical drills, operational intelligence crime response techniques, and community-oriented policing strategies.
These, he said, were designed to sharpen and effectively improve their ability to respond to violent crimes and other emerging security threats within the State.
According to him, the training will not only test their physically and mentally but also serve as a final assessment stage, as participants would, upon completion of the exercise, undergo written examinations, drug integrity tests, and further psychological evaluations.
“Only officers who attain commendable performances and demonstrate exceptional professionalism would eventually be drafted into the Violent Crime Response Unit,” he said.
Olugbenga urged the participants to remain disciplined, focused, and committed throughout the duration of the exercise.
