- Pastor Suleiman, Bukola Saraki, Banky W, others join in the call to bring an End to SARS
There are more calls to End Sars in Nigeria following the killing of a man in front of a hotel in Ughelli, Delta State by Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) operatives.
A video which surfaced on Saturday shows how a SARS agent shot a man in cold blood near Wetland Hotel in Ughelli and then escapes with his vehicle – a white Lexus Sport Utility Vehicle.
This unwarranted killing led to the reignition of the calls for an end to SARS, which has attracted a trending hashtag #EndSars on social media, particularly on Twitter by angry Nigerians.
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A leading human rights activists Segun Awosanya using Segalink on Twitter said “There are 100s of cases that never made it to Social media if not more…
“The call for the resignation of the IGP would be in order if no action is taken immediately on these murders with sanctions on the direct supervisors of these rogue officers.”
Nigerians are calling the President of the country to take steps to bring an end to the unjust killings by SARS.
One of the Nigerian most popular singers, Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun popularly known as Wizkid isn’t taking it likely with President Muhammadu Buhari who had on Friday sent a message to the US President Donald Trump and his wife Melania who tested positive for Coronavirus.
Buhari had tweeted “I wish US President, Donald Trump and his wife, Melania, quick and full recovery from Covid-19.”
Wizkid who isn’t afraid of confronting politicians reacted swiftly saying “Donald Trump is not your business! Old man! Police/Sarz still killing Nigerian youth on a daily! Do something! Nothing concern u for America! Face your country!!”
This isn’t the first time Nigerians have called for the end of SARS. The Department has faced relentless allegations of unjust arrests, extortion of citizens, and torture and there are many videos, pictures shared over the decades to back up these claims.
One of the prominent voices who have aired their displeasure over the unnecessarily killings and torture of SARS are a former Vice-President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar, Former Senate President Bukola Saraki, Minister of Youths and Sports Development Sunday Dare, Amnesty Internation and the governor of Lagos State Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
Former Director-General of the Bureau of Public Service Reforms Joe Abah said via Twitter that “Is it that the @NigeriaGov and the @PoliceNG are not aware of the nefarious activities of SARS or that they support it? I don’t understand. #EndSARS,” Abah asked.
Another popular Nigerian singer, Olubankole Wellington popularly known as Banky W wondered ‘how many young Nigerians’ needed to be ‘robbed, kidnapped and killed’ by SARS before ‘our government takes it seriously’
“The “Special Anti-Robbery Squad” is doing the robbing?! Such a disgrace. What will it take for our “leaders” to do something about it? #EndSARS #EndSarsNo,” he added.
The Pastor of Omega Fire Ministries, Apostle Johnson Suleiman also added his voice. On Saturday, he tweeted “SARS should be proscribed. They are a disgrace to the police. They are worse than the criminals they claim to be against. Their trigger-happy nature has rendered mothers childless, sent youths on premature extinction, wasted destinies, they will reap what they sow.”
Ministry of Youth and Sports in a statement at the weekend expressed worries over the increasing atrocities of SARS, adding that it has brought it to the attention of the appropriate authorities.
“The Ministry of Youth and Sports Development is worried about the increasing menace and increasing harassments and attacks by SARS especially targeted at the Youth and other innocent members of the public,” it said in a statement.
Former Senate President said “The reports of the continued harassment, illegal arrest, detention and high handedness by rogue cells of the SARS unit of the Police against innocent Nigerians – most of them young people – in spite of efforts to reform the Police & raise standards of policing, are disheartening,” he said.
Lagos Governor, Sanwo-Olu said “reading reports of seemingly unlawful exploitation by the people charged to protect is very worrying & needs to be addressed immediately. Be assured that appropriate actions will be taken, & speedily too.”
Femi Kuti, the son of a former Nigerian Afrobeat Master, Fela Kuti said “How many more innocents people must SARS/the police kill before urgent steps are taken to completely overhaul and reform the entire police force? Obviously government and their families are safe is why they are nonchalant and indifferent.”
Meanwhile, due to the outcries that trailed the killing in Ughelli, the Inspector General of Police IGP M.A Adamu has banned Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS) and other police tactical squads from a routine patrol.
Special Tactical Squad (STS), Intelligence Response Team (IRT), and Anti-Cultism Squad are also included in the ban from patrolling in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), zonal and command level
The affected units are not also allowed to carry out ‘routine patrol’ and ‘conventional low-risk duties-stop and search duties, checkpoints, mounting of roadblocks, and traffick checks’ with immediate effect.
The IGP also banned security personnel from patrolling and go on tactical assignments in mufti. “They must always appear in their police uniforms or approved tactical gear,” the statement reads.
Specifically, the IGP “warned the Tactical Squads against the invasion of the privacy of citizens particularly through an indiscriminate and unauthorized search of mobile phones, laptops and other smart devices. They are to concentrate and respond only to cases of armed robbery, kidnapping and other violent crimes when the need arises.”
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