Ayawaso Probe: Civilian Operatives Don’t Have Crowd Management Training—SWAT Commander

DPS Samuel Kojo Azuku

DPS Samuel Kojo Azuku, the Commander in charge of the Special Weapons and Tactics (UNIT) at the National Security told the Justice Emile Short’s Commission of Inquiry probing the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election that the civilian operatives of National Security do not have any form of training in crowd management.

He has also told the Commission that the civilian operatives are not trained in weapon handling. Again, he has disclosed that National Security was not part of the election security taskforce on January 31, 2019 when the shootings took place.

According to him, there are no civilian operatives in the SWAT Unit of National Security but was quick to add that at the Secretariat of National Security, there are some civilian operatives.

He said civilian operatives of National Security usually wear black t-shirts especially when they are going on operations.

Asked how the civilian operatives would manage a crowd situation, he said he could not speak on that because they have never come across any situation like that.

He told the Commission that in all there were 36 officers in the SWAT unit of National Security. He however told the Commission that the civilian operatives are given some form of security training.

According to him, he heard about the shooting incident at the NDC’s candidate’s residence through social media.

---Daily Guide