Amnesty International has reacted to the
disbandment of Federal Special Anti-
Robbery Squad (FSARS) and other special
squads by the newly-appointed Inspector
General of Police, Adamu Mohammed.
AIG Mohammed had on Monday ordered
the decentralization of SARS which was
earlier centralized at the Force
Headquarters.
Mohammed gave the order at a meeting
with officers in the rank of Commissioners
of Police and above on Monday in Abuja,
ordering that with the new arrangement,
commissioners of police in the 36 states
and the FCT would assume full command
and control all SARS in their commands.
The police boss said henceforth, the SARS
unit in the force headquarters would be
under the Deputy Inspector-General of
Police in charge of Force Criminal
Intelligence and Investigation Department
(FCIID).
Reacting, Amnesty International in a
statement signed by its Director, Osai
Ojigho said the disbandment of SARS
“Acknowledges years of outcry from
Nigerians over human rights violations
routinely committed by its membersâ€
Ojigbo said that the new development,
however, commendable was not enough
measure by the Nigerian Police to stop
human rights abuses by the police.
The statement reads, “The disbandment of
the notorious Federal Special Anti-Robbery
Squad (FSARS) acknowledges years of
outcry from Nigerians over human rights
violations routinely committed by its
members. However, disbandment alone is
not enough and must be followed with
concrete reforms that will end gross
violations by the police altogether.
‘Wide-ranging reforms must be carried out
so that Nigerians can trust the police to
provide law enforcement according to
Nigerian laws and international standards.
The toxic climate of fear and corruption
perpetrated by the police must end.
“Much more needs to be done to end
unnecessary and excessive of force,
extrajudicial killings, torture, arbitrary
detention and extortion. Wide-ranging
reforms must be carried out so that
Nigerians can trust the police to provide
law enforcement according to Nigerian
laws and international standards. The toxic
climate of fear and corruption perpetrated
by the police must end.
“Previous attempts to end the use of
torture by the Nigerian police have proven
ineffective.
“To draw a line under these atrocities, they
must be investigated, and the perpetrators
brought to justice.
“Compelling evidence of crimes and human
rights violations committed by FSARS is
widely available, including in reports by
Amnesty International and can aid effective
investigation of crimes committed by the
squad.â€
Source:
dailypost.ng/2019/01/22/amnesty-
international-reacts-decentralization-sars-
says-police-action-not-enough/
