Ranmilowo Ojalumo
Contrary to the agitation of many Nigerians calling for disbandment of Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS), the Center for Human and Socio-Economic Rights (CHSR), a Non-governmental Organisation (NGO), has called on the Inspector General of Police, Idris Adamu to reform FSARS, the Special Tactical Squad (STS), Intelligence Response Team (IRT) and the Anti-Cultism Squad unit of the police and disband them.
In statement signed by the national president of the centre, comrade Alex Omotehinse and made available to The Factual Nigeria Newspaper, the right centre reiterated that ending SARS as being agitated by many Nigerians, with protest in many states across the country is not the solution, stating that SARS and other unit mentioned by the IGP has primary responsibilities.
The centre said the affected units should not be canceled because of few bad eggs among them, stressing that the IG should rather reform the units for maximum efficiency.
The centre stated that ending FSARS operation at this crucial moment in the country with pocket of security challenges is a call to anarchy, lawlessness and social violence as fraudsters and armed robbers are going to be the largest beneficiary of such action.
The CHSR however commended Nigerians and civil society organizations for their resilient calls and exposure of overzealousness and unprofessional conduct of some officers within the Nigeria police force.
The statement reads in part: “We give kudos to the Inspector-General of Police for listening to the cries and woes of the Nigeria populace on the recent restriction placed on the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS), Special Tactical Squad (STS), Intelligence Response Team (IRT), Anti-Cultism Squad from carrying out routine patrols, stop and search duties, checkpoints, mounting of roadblocks and traffic checks with immediate effect.
“The decision by the IGP to address some exceptions in the activities of FSARS, IRT, STS and Anti-Cultism is a welcome development without any doubt as it will check some form of unprofessional conduct, abuse of human rights and high handedness by some police unit.
“CHSR, as a human rights group believe this will put a stop to the untold hardship, harassment, intimidation, extortion and unlawful persecution being faced by the poor masses from the hand of some unscrupulous element within the force that dent the good image of these units of the police on daily basis.
“We are aware that there has been series of agitations/protest by some Nigerians to completely collapse the entire unit of FSARS in our police formation and the campaign tagged: #EndSARS trending on the social media.
“As a group, we don’t believe ending SARS is the solution because SARS and other unit mentioned by the IGP has primary responsibilities, therefore, we shouldn’t because of few bad eggs among them to cancel the entire units.
“We are also using this medium to let the general public know that ending FSARS operation at this crucial moment in our nation with pocket of security challenges is a call to state of anachy, lawlessness and social violence as fraudsters and armed robbers are going to be the largest beneficiary of such action.
“The monitoring units and X-squad who are to see that the restrictions comes to reality must also ensure that their operations is devoid of biasness, of religion nor ethnic sentiment in dealing with erring officers found wanting so that such officers can serve as a deterrent to others.
“We are bold to say that FSARS, STS, IRT and Anti-Cultism Squad are critical departments in the Nigeria Police Force to combat prevailing and emerging violent crimes in the country but the act of unprofessionalism, abuse of human rights and high-handedness by some personnel of the Squads gives rise to fear and jittery mode of sincere country men and women but this does not mean we should throw the baby away with the bathing water. Or are we saying Nigeria police should be scrap because of few bad eggs?
“We are aware that the FSARS, IRT, and others tactical team has performed creditably well in the past and we are also a living witness to the fact that some personnel of the sections has been dealt with for derailing from the unit primary responsibility.
“We charge the inspector general of police to do the needful and change the narrative by instilling discipline on any men and officers found culpable to restore the dignity and integrity of the Force.
“It is good to check corruption in the Police, but the question we must ask is what brought us here? Corruption has eating very deep in the society at large as is gradually becoming a culture so we must not just do window dressing, we must reform the Police system of operation address the neglect and dehumanization within the Force.
“Police officers must have respect for themselves and their colleagues as well as members of the society they must be civil with the people and refrain from compromising crimes there must be no sacred cows where crime and it’s investigation is concerned. Equality before the law must not be recognised theoretically but must be pragmatically enforced”, the centre enthused.
