Some of SARS being interrogated on alleged negative conduct
Nigeria: Atiku Wants Complaints About SARS Addressed
There is on-going virtual protest by Nigerians against the current status and activities of a Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS). The Unit in the Nigeria Police Force is set up to attend to and prevent robbery incidents but out-pour of complaints suggest that SARS may not be serving its purpose.
Former Vice President of Nigeria and presidential hopeful in 2019, Atiku Abubakar has urged the government to address the many complaints hash-tagged #EndSARS.
“I commend our young people for protesting these injustices peacefully online, and encourage the IG of @PoliceNG to take these complaints seriously. I also urge the National Assembly to look into these complaints, and address the human rights issues. Reforms are urgently needed”, Atiku said on his twitter handle @atiku.
The call follows several incidents of brutality, abuse and harassment reported against men of the police department.
The Nigerian Police Force Public Complaint Rapid Response Unit, PCRRU, yesterday announced the opening of channels through which the public can report complaints about the police Unit.
The move by the PCRRU may be connected to the public outcry that has trailed the activities of many SARS officials in recent times.
A popular Nigerian newspaper, The Punch, recalled some ignoble activities of SARS: “Late in October 2017, a 2015 graduate of Kwara State Polytechnic, Ekwere Imoh, was shot by policemen attached to SARS, Oyo State Police Command. The policemen also shot a female friend of his, identified simply as Doris, who was with him. There were no concrete reasons for shooting the duo as they were neither criminals nor under arrest.
Earlier in the same month, a lady, Kachi Anifela Zion, accused officers of SARS in Ilorin of sexual molestation. She said a male SARS official under the pretence of searching her, dipped his hand in her underwear.
She further revealed that the unit official threatened to beat her if she shouted, adding that the officer continued to fondle, rough handle and humiliate her for several minutes. The police official implicated in the matter was later arrested.
A video also emerged online in November, where a gun-wielding operative threatened to shoot two people at Akute area of Ogun State”
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