Thread by @segalink

Meet my true heroes beyond the hashtag. @AbdulMahmud01 @citizen_gavel @julietkego @NwangumaOkey Thank you guys for building the bridge of hope that can never be defeated. If you get to meet them, please bless them with anything you have plus prayers! #EndSARS #ReformPoliceNG

Barrister @NwangumaOkey on this imbroglio aptly reduced his thoughts into writing. “The SARS is a section of the Nigeria police under the Force Criminal Investigation Department and specifically charged 'to combat armed robbery and other heinous crimes nationwide.'

But SARS in all parts of Nigeria have gained embarrassing notoriety tainting the image of the Nigerian Police locally and internationally, and should either be scrapped or comprehensively reformed to conform to modern standards of policing or human rights-compliant policing.

SARS operatives are known for arresting people for all manner of alleged offences, torturing, extorting and executing suspects and detainees in their custody and secretly disposing of their dead bodies. They also dabble into civil disputes.

The police in SARS across the states are being used by politicians and other influential persons to victimize their opponents or to settle disputes that are purely civil or communal. The police hierarchy is not unaware of the menace that SARS constitutes.

Shortly after his appointment as Acting IGP, M. D, Abubakar in 2012 was quoted in several news reports as lamenting that ‘Our Special Anti-Robbery Squads (SARS) have become killer teams engaging in deals for land speculators and debts collection…'

The increasing spate of extortion, harassment, torture and other human rights abuses perpetrated by personnel of SARS has continued to elicit concern among local and international human rights groups, media and general public.

The lack of effective internal and external mechanisms to hold SARS operatives accountable to the communities they serve has been identified as one of the main contributory factors for the abuses and impunity.

But the problem with SARS is not different from the problem with the Nigeria Police as an institution.

When you have a Police Force headed by a visionless directionless, drab and incompetent IGP with a Force PRO who constantly brings odium and shame to the police and doing more damage to its image rather than burnish it, what more do you expect from SARS.

Both the IGP & his ForcePRO said at different times that those who are calling for the disbandment of SARS are criminals.

The fact that the police hierarchy is defending SARS in spite of the atrocities of its operatives against Nigerians, and despite the public outcry over their criminal activities; ...

...the fact that the IGP could appoint as the current Commissioner of Police for the Federal SARS, the immediate former CP of Edo Command, a man under whose leadership, the Edo State police turned into a criminal force-

...that tells you that the police as an institution, not just SARS, is in urgent need for radical reform. SARS operatives operate more like armed robbers and predators than crime fighters and protectors.

The public clamour against the detestable activities of SARS operatives led to the national call to disband the unit through the 'ENDSARS' campaign which has gained public support nationwide through the social media.

In a bid to address the problem the Inspector General of Police responded by announcing plans to reorganize and reform--but not to disband--SARS units.

Although the form of reorganization to be made remains unclear, however the Nigeria Police Force have provided a list of emergency contact numbers to aid public reporting on the activities of SAR operatives.

Yet, public complaints are left unaddressed and the impunity continues.

Other agencies such as the National Human Rights Commission and local human rights groups have initiated various efforts to join the advocacy for reform of the activities of the unit to see how to find solutions to the problems.” #EndSARS #ReformPoliceNG #NOPRIN