The Federal Government would spend N1.27 billion to equip the new force, Special Weapon Tactical Team (SWAT).
This is contained in the highlight of the 2022 budget of the police formations and commands.
The provision is described as equipment for newly established swat/special forces unit (SFU) with code number ERGP4171742.
SWAT was one of the outcomes of three weeks of nationwide protests last year against the now-defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) over the unit’s high-handedness and brutality.
Also, during the protests, one of the recurrent themes was the fact that men of the disbanded FSARS unit perform their duties without a uniform.
A breakdown for next year shows Police formations will be spending N1.59 billion on uniforms and other clothing, while the supply of 1,200 pieces of ballistic helmet will gulp N50.35 million.
It was gathered that SWAT will gulp an estimated cost of N6.8 million for new uniforms for the first 1,220 officers.
The projected cost is put at N5,705 for an officer, out of the N2.07 billion budgeted in 2020 by the Ministry of Police Affairs for uniform and clothing of 371,800 officers in the country, as published by the Budget office.
