Osinbajo backs IGP on SARS review

Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo has expressed anger over reports of extrajudicial activities exhibited by officers of the special anti-robbery squad (SARS) of the Nigeria Police Force including alleged killing, maiming and harassment of young people.

The vice president stated this in Abuja on Sunday while speaking with state house correspondents and expressed support for the review of the unit of the police form as announced by the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu.

This is contained in a statement issued by the media aide to the vice-president, Laolu Akande.

The vice-president described the reports of SARS brutality as “completely unacceptable because these are individuals who are meant to protect Nigerians”.

Osinbajo also conveyed the displeasure of President Muhammadu Buhari over the reports of human rights abuses by SARS and hinted about a reform of the police force.

“The President and I have had discussions on this. He is very concerned about it. He wants to see reform,” Osinbajo said.

He added, “I am very concerned, in fact, very angry about what I see happening to young men and women who are arrested — in some cases maimed or killed by men of the police force.

“The arrest, maiming or killing of young people or anyone at all, is completely wrong. It is unlawful and illegal, and anyone involved in this act ought to be investigated and prosecuted.”

Osinbajo said he had a meeting with the IGP Adamu on the measures to address the problem.

He said, “You are probably aware that the IGP has issued a statement looking at all these issues; in particular, the warning against the use of these tactical units such as SARS for purposes of doing anything other than anti-robbery.

“For example, and I think in his statement, he specifically said that you cannot have a situation where SARS says they are investigating cybercrime by arresting young men and women carrying their laptops and phones. Cybercrime is an electronic crime. I don’t see how you can investigate that by seizing people’s phones in a taxi or in their cars.

“It is very obvious that this is a major concern; a few bad eggs in the police force are causing all of these problems because it is all over the place, in different states. There is a need to take serious action.

“The IGP’s statement today is a good first step. He has said clearly that policemen must wear police uniforms. You cannot say that because you belong to a tactical unit, you can dress in your casual clothing and be armed, because people can’t even tell the difference between robbers and the police if you are not properly dressed in police uniform. So, clearly, a reform is in the offing.

“So, I will like to encourage civil society activists, young men and women, who bring this regularly, by the way, to the attention of government and the police. And I think that activism is important because they have been able to bring a lot of these issues to the attention of the police and government, and that is an important part of the process of the reform.”