FWPI Editorial: Atrocities Of The Nigerian Police (SARS) Operatives

 FWPI Editorial: Atrocities Of The Nigerian Police (SARS) Operatives The very fundamental reason behind the formation of Special Anti-Robber...

 FWPI Editorial: Atrocities Of The Nigerian Police (SARS) Operatives

The very fundamental reason behind the formation of Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the Nigerian Police Force stemmed from the brutal killing of Colonel Rindam of the Nigerian Army by the officers of the Nigerian Police Force at a Lagos checkpoint in the year, 1992. As the unfortunate information filtered into the office of the Nigerian Army, soldiers were immediately dispatched into the streets of Lagos in search of the murderous police officers.

This unit of the Nigerian Police which is the fourteenth (14th) in the Force Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department became established to primarily arrest, detain, investigate and prosecute people involved in such crimes like armed robbery, kidnapping, cultism amongst other related violent crimes. 

Presently, this Department is headed by the Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Anthony Ogbizi. SARS has in recent times, come under serious controversy for being linked to criminal acts of extortion, torture, framing, blackmail, thuggery, armed robbery, cultism, thievery, terrorism, harassment and killing of innocent citizens in the Southern part of Nigeria.

Over the years, this particular police department has bluntly defied recommended reforms or outright ban as a result of their being associated with grave criminal activities and human rights violations. There is no doubt that they exists, a couple of fine and professional officers in the fold. But however,  even within the political circle, these SARS officers have become shamelessly partisan and ready tools in the hands of powers that be especially those linked to Aso Rock with the intent to suppress  perceived political enemies at the State level. 

Good instance is what transpired in Rivers State during the Gubernatorial/Presidential elections of 2015. Governor Nyesom Wike had a running battle even at the threat of his life against the so-called federal might that employed the services of Rivers  SARS Command amongst other armed security forces in the State to try to subvert the will of the people.

The despicable unprofessional operational activities of SARS officers have so degenerated under the current administration of Muhammadu Buhari that even the Inspector-General of Police himself, Alhaji Mohammed Adamu and the National Assembly intently lack the clout to definitively, carry out needed reforms in the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) unit to holistically, curb operational excesses. The officers are being used to unleash terror and perpetrate all manner of evil against the very people they are constitutionally obligated to protect.

Reports of SARS brutality and blatant impunity pervade the society. There exists quite some numbers of illegal checkpoints for extortion, forceful searches/collections of people's phones, unwarranted arrests, torture, extra-judicial killings and detentions of innocent citizens especially within the South-East and South-South regions. People are daily living in fear and at the mercy of these "dare-devil" federal government armed police personnel. 

Their unrepentant tyrannic dispositions are what orchestrated the ongoing repraisal attacks being visited on them by unidentified gunmen in Rivers and Enugu States. In Delta and Edo States, it is the same story of the people aggressively venting their anger against them as a matter of right and displeasure while what is happening in Awkuzu in Anambra State is disgustingly vampiric and provocative. 

The SARS located in this place is reportedly arresting, torturing, killing and harvesting valuable organs of their victims and trafficked to India. All these acts of wickedness and unethical practices of a supposed cultured police department, are what triggered off the ongoing #EndSARSNow# protests in some parts of Nigeria especially within the Southern axis and in Abuja.

This is 21st century and no sane society that prouds itself to be practicing democracy can accommodate this level of instituted terrorism by both the official and unofficial terror groups. In the South-East, South-South and South-West regions, SARS operatives have seemingly come into the scene to complement the atrocities of the Islamist Fulani killer herdsmen against the overburdened, helpless citizens. 

And unless the Nigerian government takes a decisive action to either drastically reform or totally ban the perpetrators of this bizarre adventure, Nigeria is just wittingly or unwittingly, preparing the ground for an unprecedented implosion.

This Atrocious SARS Must End Now!

Written by Peter Oshagwu

Editor-in-Chief

Family Writers Press International

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