‘SARS Operations Restricted To Armed Robbery, Kidnapping Cases’

LAGOS AUGUST 26TH (NEWSRANGERS)-Ibrahim Idris, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), has initiated measures that would result in the total reform of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) unit of the Force, the Police have announced.
Police spokesperson, Force headquarters, Jimoh Moshood, who gave this indication in a statement on Friday, and made available to Daily Independent, said the reforms would see to the end of SARS operatives attending to civil or commercial matters, as they would be strictly limited to armed robbery and kidnapping cases.
According to him, the IGP also ordered the creation of a Human Rights Desk in State formations of the Force across the Federation.
Moshood said the Desk, in collaboration with other human rights organisations, would take and address cases of infractions by SARS personnel against members of the public anywhere in the country.
Also in the package is the involvement of psychologists and counselors to help screen SARS operatives, the police said.
According to Moshood, the police had earlier broached and discussed some of these new measures with critical stakeholders, including the media and the public, on the progress being made to overhaul the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, now known as FSARS in the emerging arrangement.
On the occasion, the IGP was represented by Habila Joshak, Deputy Inspector General of Police, Operations Department.
He alongside Haliru Gwandu, Commissioner of Police Federal SARS, as well as Amaechi Elumelu, Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the IGP’s X-Squad, addressed the gathering.
Among the stakeholders in attendance on the occasion are Segun Awosanya, Convener of #EndSARS and head of Universal Institutional Reform Advocacy Foundation, as well as Dr Femi Amosun.
Others are, Professor Olu Ogunsakin represented by Mr Ayo Omotade; Asekome Oteiku, Director, Legal/Admin, International Human Rights Protection; Ayo Akani and Team from Lincoln Carter Foundation; as well as senior police officers.
Under the proposed regime, anyone who would become a SARS operative would be subjected to rigorous orientation, human rights training and other screening processes, including the evaluation of their previous records on human rights, Moshood quoted Elumelu as saying.
He added that the reforms would equally see SARS operatives wearing police uniforms with full identification pending the launch of new FSARS uniform.
Accordingly, the IGP ordered the setting up of Custody Records Management System for FSARS throughout the country.
“DIG Joshak Habila emphasized that the overhaul of SARS was beyond rhetoric and real reform was taking place,” Moshood stated.
“He noted among other things that Federal SARS operatives had been ordered not to attend to civil or commercial matters again, but strictly to armed robbery and kidnapping cases only.
“Habiru Gwandu in his remarks informed the gathering of the creation of a Human Rights Desk in every states of the Federation to take and address cases of infractions against members of the public by FSARS personnel anywhere in the country in collaboration with other Human Rights organisations.
“He went further to note that the Police have involved the services of psychologists and counselors in the ongoing screening of FSARS operatives.”

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