Outrage grows over SARS menace, Osinbajo, others condemn killings, arrests and extortion
There was outrage across the country on Sunday over the harassment, extortion and extra-judicial killings of innocent Nigerians by operatives of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad, one of the units of the Nigeria Police Force.
Vice- President Yemi Osinbajo, the Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege and the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo, were among Nigerians who expressed dissatisfaction over the conduct of the F-SARS operatives, describing it as unacceptable.
The Inspector-General of Police, Muhammed Adamu, had earlier, in a swift reaction to the extra-judicial killings and harassment of innocent Nigerians, banned personnel of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad from engaging in routine patrols, stop and search, mounting of roadblocks and traffic checks with immediate effect.
Videos of shooting of a young man by F-SARS in Ugheli, Delta State, went viral on Saturday. The security men were said to have fled with his Lexus Jeep and left his body on the roadside.
On Thursday, a sales coordinator with Rifugio Communications Limited, a partner of Samsung, Joshua Oghenekevwe was abducted by Policemen at Epe, on his way to Warri, Delta State. They were alleged to have seized his phone and forced him to pay N100,000 after threatening to kill him.
On September 10, a graduate Ifeoma Abugu was allegedly murdered four days after her ‘introduction’ by SARS men who whisked her away after storming the residence of her fiancé, Afam Agwunwa at Wumba village in the Lokogoma area of Abuja to arrest him.
Osinbajo said he was angry about the actions of some policemen, especially those attached to SARS, whom he accused of harassing and sometimes maiming and killing Nigerians nationwide. He said such actions coming from those saddled with the responsibilities of protecting the citizens were unacceptable.
Osinbajo, therefore commended police authorities for the statement issued earlier in the day on the matter, saying it was wrong for policemen to be seizing Laptops and phones from young Nigerians in the name of fighting cybercrime.
The Vice-President said, “I am very concerned and in fact, sometimes angry about what i see happening to young men and women, who are arrested and in some cases maimed or killed by men of the police force, in some cases, those who man tactical units of the police force such as SARS and other units.
“It is completely objectionable. It is unacceptable. These are individuals who are meant to protect Nigerians. The arrest, maiming, killing of young Nigerians or of anyone at all by this individuals is completely wrong. It is unlawful. It is illegal and all those involved ought to be investigated and prosecuted.