Senate tells FG to implement #EndSARS protesters’ demands

The Senate has asked the Federal Government to commence an immediate implementation of a five-point demand of #EndSARS protesters for peace to be restored in many parts of the country.

Spokesperson for the Senate, Dr Ajibola Basiru, made this known in Abuja.

Many youths have taken to the street in different parts of the country protesting police brutality and extrajudicial killings, demanding an end to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad of the police.

A Presidential Panel on the Reform of the disbanded SARS had earlier approved the five-point demand by those protesting against the police brutality.

Despite the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, announcing the scrapping of the police unit last Sunday, the protests have persisted.

The protesters are asking for the release of all arrested protesters, justice for all deceased victims of police brutality and appropriate compensation for their families, as well as an increase in the salary of the police to dissuade them from extortion tendencies.

Basiru during a television programme said the two chambers of the National Assembly had inaugurated their constitutional review committees on the reformation of the Nigeria Police Force

He said, “Beyond legislative action is the need to take some executive actions. For instance, stopping SARS is an executive action because no law actually set up the SARS.

“The five-point demand of the protesters has been passed to the presidential committee and they agreed to it and we are expecting implementation for the executive arm of government to make implementation.”

He stressed that there was a need to build confidence between the police and members of the public including the youths.

Basiru also spoke on the need to decentralise the security apparatus of the country, following the #EndSARS protests that had led to gridlocks and disruption of economic activities in many states.

He said, “Personally, as a senator from Osun Central, I have sponsored a constitutional review bill to have state police. I believe the country is so large, our security challenges are so huge and there is a need for us to marry the rule of law and human rights of our people and it is in this context that we will be able to address the issue.”