police cannot end SARS says spokesman, Frank Mba
The Nigeria Police Force Public Relations Officer, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Frank Mba said, yesterday, that the Special Anti-Robbery Squad cannot be scrapped because of its potency in combatting criminality and deadly criminal gangs in the country.
The police scribe spoke as Alliance for Survival of COVID-19 and Beyond, ASCAB, led by human rights activist, Femi Falana, SAN, said the Federal Government was not sincere in reforming the special police unit.
However, Uba disclosed that the police headquarters was currently reforming the operations of SARS officers nationwide to curtail their excesses.
Speaking during an Instagram Live chat with Nigerian Artist, Azeez Fashola, aka, Naira Marley, DCP Mba advised Nigerians to take video recordings of SARS operatives who abuse their fundamental human rights “as long as it is safe to do so”.
Recall that the singer cancelled a planned demonstration against SARS infractions and molestations billed for yesterday.
Following excesses of its operatives, the Inspector General of Police , Mohammed Adamu had banned SARS personnel from engaging in routine patrols, stop and search, mounting of road blocks and traffic checks with immediate effect.
Emphasizing that the IGP and the Force were committed to reforming SARS and make them responsive , responsible and work in accordance with laid down procedures.
“We need them to continue to respond to violent crime. We need them to continue to respond to armed robberies. We need them to continue to respond to kidnappings”.
During the interaction, Naira Marley agreed that the special arm of the police should not be scrapped but reformed, saying, “You talk about end SARS, you cannot end SARS but let us ask for reform. Why do you want to end SARS? Are you an armed robber? he queried.
While expressing support for the directive of the IGP to get SARS operatives off the roads, Marley said, “SARS is a special arm that should only come out during robbery incidents”. He also urged the police to give an update on SARS operatives who had been arrested and compensate families of victims allegedly killed by SARS officers.