In what seems to be a positive response to days of protests by scores of Nigerian youths calling on the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, to disband the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, he has finally announced the disbandment.
Many Nigerian youths across the country had decried the alleged brutality, invasion of privacy, extra judicial killings and human rights abuse being meted by the special force while carrying out their duties.
Before the announcement of the disbandment of SARS on Sunday, the IGP had earlier released some measures to curtail their excesses like banning them from mounting road blocks, patrols, and searching of personal phones and computers among others.
But the protests still continued until Sunday.
Announcing the disbandment on a live broadcast on Sunday, Adamu said the operatives would be redeployed to other police formations and commands.
Adamu announced this in a live broadcast on Sunday afternoon.
The IGP said, “The Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad of the Nigeria Police Force otherwise known as SARS is hereby dissolved in all the 36 State Police Commands and the Federal Capital Territory.”
After the briefing, a statement signed by the Force Public Relations Officer, Frank Mba, was released to the media.
The statement titled, ‘IGP Dissolves The Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS)’, partly read, “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.”
Recall that one Jimoh Isiaka was killed by police in Ogbomoso, Oyo State during the #endSARS protest on Saturday, and the governor of the state, Seyi Makinde had condemned the killing in strong terms.
In Ogun State, the police command said it had arrested 23 among the protesters who went violent destroying property and firing gunshots at the SARS office in Magbon, Abeokuta in which one of the officers, Akadibuke Augustine, was allegedly hit by bullets and injured.
The protesters also damaged the back windshield of the deputy governor, Noimot Salako-Oyedele’s official vehicle, and disrupted Owu Day celebration.
The protesters who laid siege at the Force headquarters were said to have been dispersed with teargas canisters.
The Nigeria Police Force in a tweet announced the disbandment of SARS and proffer the way forward
#IGPDissolvesSARS pic.twitter.com/A1TvvefbOu
— Nigeria Police Force (@PoliceNG) October 11, 2020
