Innibehe Effiong, a Nigerian human rights lawyer, has pleaded for the complete overhaul of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) by the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris. Effiong said operatives of SARS have become willing tools in the hands of Nigerians who could afford their services to deal with other citizens.
“When Nigerians want to deal with their fellow citizens, they will rather deploy SARS than report at a conventional police station.
“The reason is that SARS strikes fear in the hearts of the citizens. The average policeman in SARS does not understand why torture is wrong. “I do not believe that the cosmetic changes announced by the Inspector-General of Police will have consequential effects.
“What we need is a complete overhaul of the entire police system. We cannot divorce the brazen criminality of the SARS from the general systemic rot in the force,” a statement from him said.
NAIJ.com earlier reported how the governor of Gombe state, Alhaji Hassan Ibrahim Dankwambo, declared his support for call to scrap the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS). According to Governor Dankwabo, it is lamentable that those charged with the responsibility of protecting Nigerians have suddenly become a danger to the people.
“I wholeheartedly support Nigerians in the call for #EndSARS. “Those charged with the protection of Nigerian lives and property have now become the danger to those they are supposed to protect,” he said.
On Saturday, Some Nigerians took to the social media to condemn the “careless” regard for human lives which they say is evident in operations of SARS operatives. While calling for the proscription of the squad, they accused SARS of maltreating and torturing innocent citizens at will.
But the police said such accusations should be dismissed by Nigerians. Speaking to TheCable on Sunday, Jimoh Moshood, police spokesman, said SARS has lived up to its duty of curbing violent crimes and so, calls for its proscription should be “totally condemned”.
“As we speak, SARS is doing fantastically well across the country in reducing incidents of robbery to the barest minimum… they are doing very, very well,” Moshood said.
“There has not been any specific violation of human rights against anyone by SARS personnel. So anybody that is spreading such a rumour is not doing the nation any good.
“SARS has no excesses and when there is any, we do investigate.
“The call for SARS to be scrapped should be condemned by all well-meaning Nigerians. Anybody calling for their proscription is not doing the nation any good and such people should be suspected as having something to hide.”
Moshood urges Nigerians with complaints against any police officer –
“whether SARS or any other personnel” – to channel their complaints through established channels.
“Accessibility (to the police in cases of complaints) is very possible, he said, adding: “We do not take any infraction or violation of human right of any Nigerian likely. You know that so many police officers have been dismissed and even charged to court.”
“So, Nigerians should not give in to insinuations from people that just come to the social media and start spreading falsehood. Such people spreading such information may likely be armed robbers themselves.
“There is laid down rules for police procedures and any police officer that go beyond boundary to do something outrageous which is against the law is apprehended.”
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