Unic Press UK: In a statement today, Nigeria’s police chief known as the Inspector General of Police, M.A Adamu, dissolved the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) across the 36 State Police Commands and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) where they hitherto existed.
The decision to disband the dreaded SARS, one of the Tactical Squads’ of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), follows a massive, sustained nationwide protest for several days’ over a series of questionable actions of the police squad, such as, unlawful arrests/detention, which, in some cases seems to have led to loss of human lives.
In a press statement Sunday, the NPF Public Relations Officer, Frank Mba, said:
“The dissolution of SARS is in response to the yearnings of the Nigerian people…”
The IGP assures the Nigerian people that a new policing arrangement that would address anticipated policing gaps the dissolution of SARS would cause shall be announced in due course.
The Police authorities further announced that:
- All the officers and men of the now defunct Special Anti-robbery Squad are being redeployed with immediate effect.
- There would be a new policing arrangement to address anticipated policing gaps the dissolution of SARS would cause.
- A Citizens’ and Strategic Stakeholders’ Forum is being formed to regularly interface with the Police leadership at all levels and advise on police activities as they affect the general public.
- The NPF is constituting an Investigation Team, which shall include Civil Society Organisations and Human Rights Bodies, to work with the Police in investigating alleged cases of human rights violations. The measure will enhance transparency and accountability in police services as well as providing a system of deterrence for erring police officers whose action clearly violates the rights of the citizenry.
