DevelopmentHuman RightsNews

SARS Operatives Still On Roads, Defying IGP’s Orders, Nigerians Cry Out

Following public outrage, Nigeria’s Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, had on Sunday banned officials of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS) and other police tactical squads from carrying out routine patrols and other low-risk duties, but Nigerians say nothing has changed.

Various road users shared their observations and experiences on Twitter between Sunday and Monday, suggesting that the FSARS operatives have yet to comply with the police chief’s instructions.

Some of the conventional low-risk activities prohibited by the police had included stop and search duties, mounting of roadblocks and security checkpoints, as well as traffic checks. 

“They are to concentrate and respond only to cases of armed robbery, kidnapping, and other violent crimes when the need arises,” the IGP emphasised.


He added that their activities would be monitored and defaulting officers would be promptly arrested, investigated, and prosecuted. 

It, however, appears compliance levels are not absolute as many people have reported seeing operatives of the controversial police unit on the roads since the press statement’s release. Richie Emmanuel (@richieeemmanue2) tweeted on Sunday evening that he was extorted by FSARS personnel in Lagos a few hours after the announcement.

“I left the house [a] few minutes ago for my shoot … SARS stopped me at Kpako bus stop. I told them who I am and showed them my videos and all; they searched my phone and saw I was clean,” he narrated.

“The next thing, they asked me how I got money to buy my phone, which I told them. They went to my message and opened by bank SMS … and said if I don’t send them the money, they will shoot my leg and I can’t dance anymore. I had to send them all the money in my account.”

Reports, some with attached pictures and videos, indicate that officials have since been sighted at various places in Lagos, including Ojota, Alausa, Shomolu, and Isolo. 

Other states where they were seen were Udi Local Government Area in Enugu, Benin City in Edo State, and Girei in Adamawa State.

“SARS operatives mounting roadblock at Girei, Adamawa at the moment. Despite the orders of the IGP yesterday as applauded by the Vice President,” Segun Awosanya, convener of the End SARS campaign, tweeted at past 12 pm on Monday.

“The IGP’s order is yet to make any impact on [the] ground. #EndImpunity,” he added.

It is not the first time the police headquarters would read the riot act to FSARS operatives to little effect. Echoing an earlier announcement, former Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, said in September 2018 that the officials were banned from indiscriminately searching citizens. 

“You are barred from searching handsets and laptops of innocent citizens, unless the search is directly linked to a case or directed by IGP or any person or persons he so delegated,” he warned. 

He added that any officer who detained someone beyond two days risked getting dismissed from service.

The following year, President Muhammadu Buhari directed the IGP, Ministry of Justice, and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to work on implementing a report submitted by the Presidential Panel on the Reform of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) within three months. 

It is not clear how much progress has been made by the stakeholders in that regard.

Here are some of the tweets reporting recent activities of the officers:

https://twitter.com/segalink/status/1313074844242718723

https://twitter.com/Richieeemmanue2/status/1312826137068949506

https://twitter.com/Ajebo_no_butter/status/1313067912471683072

https://twitter.com/iamdarlinton/status/1312876956422205441

 


Support Our Journalism

There are millions of ordinary people affected by conflict in Africa whose stories are missing in the mainstream media. HumAngle is determined to tell those challenging and under-reported stories, hoping that the people impacted by these conflicts will find the safety and security they deserve.

To ensure that we continue to provide public service coverage, we have a small favour to ask you. We want you to be part of our journalistic endeavour by contributing a token to us.

Your donation will further promote a robust, free, and independent media.

Donate Here

Of course, we want our exclusive stories to reach as many people as possible and would appreciate it if you republish them. We only ask that you properly attribute to HumAngle, generally including the author's name, a link to the publication and a line of acknowledgement. Contact us for enquiries or requests.

Contact Us

'Kunle Adebajo

Head of Investigations at HumAngle. ‘Kunle covers conflict alongside its many intricacies and fallouts. He also writes about disinformation, the environment, and human rights. He's won a couple of journalism awards, including the 2021 Wole Soyinka Award for Investigative Journalism, the 2022 African Fact-checking Award, and the 2023 Michael Elliott Award for Excellence in African Storytelling.

Related Articles

One Comment

  1. Delta State especially Ughelli North FSARS and SAR is wrostbthan any other LGA. They remove house roof and shoot people all the name of Yahoo

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Back to top button

Subscribe to our Newsletter

Translate »