The Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, has announced the disbandment of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the Nigeria Police Force. The announcement came after days of online and offline protests against the brutality and extra-judicial killings by SARS operatives nationwide.
The IGP’s disbandment of the special squad is contained in a statement made available by police spokesperson, DCP Frank Mba, on Sunday, October 11.
According to the statement, all operatives of the defunct squad are now being redeployed with immediate effect. Also, to avoid a reoccurrence of ugly situation that led to the dissolution SARS, the IGP said a 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 police boss added that a new policing arrangement to address anticipated policing gaps the dissolution of SARS would cause has been evolved and shall be announced in due course.
Read the full statement below:
GP DISSOLVES THE SPECIAL ANTI-ROBBERY SQUAD (SARS)
In the finest spirit of democratic, citizen-centred and community policing, the Inspector-General of Police, IGP M.A Adamu, NPM, mni has today, 11th October, 2020, dissolved the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) across the 36 State Police Commands and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) where they hitherto existed.
The IGP, while noting that the dissolution of SARS is in response to the yearnings of the Nigerian people, observes that by this dissolution, all officers and men of the now defunct Special Anti-robbery Squad are being redeployed with immediate effect.
The IGP notes that the Force is not oblivious of the ever present need to combat armed robbery, kidnapping and other violent crimes in the country which was before now the core mandate of the erstwhile Squad. He assures that a new policing arrangement to address anticipated policing gaps the dissolution of SARS would cause has been evolved and shall be announced in due course.
Meanwhile, as part of measures to prevent a re-occurrence of events that gave rise to the dissolution of SARS, a Citizens’ and Strategic Stakeholders’ Forum is being formed to regularly interface with Police leadership at all levels and advise on police activities as they affect the general public.
In addition, the Force is constituting an Investigation Team which shall include Civil Society Organizations and Human Rights Bodies to work with the Police in investigating alleged cases of human rights violations. The measure, the IGP believes, 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.
The IGP appreciates and commends all citizens particularly those who genuinely express their concerns for a better policing orientation in an organized, patriotic and civil manner. He reaffirms the determination of the Force to bequeath to the country a Police Force and System that is professional in service delivery and most importantly, accountable to the people.
