After days of public outcry and nationwide protests, the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, on Sunday, bowed to pressure and disbanded the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad.
He said a new policing arrangement to address armed robbery and other violent crimes that fall within the mandate of the dissolved tactical unit would be presented in due course.
Announcing the decision at the Force headquarters, Abuja on Sunday, Adamu acknowledged the inalienable rights of citizens to freedom of association and expression.
But the #EndSARS campaigners said they would not back down, insisting that the street rallies would continue until the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), issued an Executive Order scrapping the police tactical unit.
A leader of the protesters, Raphael Adebayo, in a telephone interview with one of our correspondents, said the IG was being “clever by half” with his announcement that the SARS had been dissolved, noting that the #EndSARS campaigners were not convinced by his statement.
The activist, who is a Co-convener of the Centre for Liberty, Abuja, advocated a total overhaul and reform of the Nigeria Police Force.
“We are not going to be fooled by the IG’s announcement. The President should either address Nigerians by announcing through an executive order, that he is disbanding the terrorist unit in the Nigeria Police Force or more protest would happen and it would continue to grow until the President takes responsibility.
“At the end of the day, this is deeper than ending SARS; this is about getting justice for all the people killed by SARS and the IG’s statement did not address that.”
Also, the Convener, #RevolutionNow Movement, Omoyele Sowore, said the protesters did not believe that the scrapping of SARS was real, noting that some policemen still harassed protesters in Abuja on Sunday, shortly after the IG’s statement.
“As I’m speaking with you, there is an ongoing protest in Abuja and it is massive. They are heading to the Force headquarters because they are not convinced that the dissolution of SARS is real. People are very sceptical, cynical about the announcement,” the former presidential candidate said.
Sowore stressed that the #EndSARS campaign was also a demand for compensation for victims of police brutality and rights violations, adding that they also wanted the errant operatives to be publicly prosecuted.
But the convener, #EndSARS Lagos, Olorunrinu Oduala, said her team would halt their protest, having decided to give the police and the government the benefit of the doubt on the announced SARS dissolution.
Oduala said, “All I know is that they have scrapped SARS; although we are sceptical because this same government has promised us several things in the past and failed on these promises but we will give them the benefit of the doubt.”
Earlier at a press briefing, the IG had described the #EndSARS agitation as a manifestation of the natural desire of the citizens to participate in matters concerning policing and internal security in the nation.
The police boss disclosed that the clamour for the scrapping of the SARS as a unit in the Nigeria Police Force had been under constant monitoring and due assessment by the government.
Adamu said, “Following a review of the current developments and in due cognizance of the wide and legitimately-held concerns of well-meaning citizens on the existence and operations of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, as a responsive and citizens-oriented Police Force, it is hereby directed as follows:
“The Special Anti-Robbery Squad of the Nigeria Police, otherwise known as SARS, is hereby dissolved across all Formations, the 36 State Police Commands and the Federal Capital Territory, where they currently exist.
“All officers and men currently serving in the unit are to be redeployed with immediate effect.
“New policing arrangements to address the offences of armed robbery, and other violent crimes that fall within the mandate of the dissolved Special Anti-Robbery Squad shall be presented in due course.”
The IG noted that a Citizens and Strategic Stakeholders’ Forum would be formed to regularly interface with the leadership of the police at all levels and advise on police activities.
Protesters’ cars vandalised, cameraman injured
Meanwhile, a cameraman with Arise Television, identified as Francis, was injured during an attack by policemen on protesters in Abuja.
The cameraman was returning from covering the IG’s press briefing at the Force headquarters when a projectile allegedly fired by the police hit his head. Footage showing the cameraman’s bleeding head was shared on social media.
Many cars belonging to the protesters parked by the Ministry of Women Affairs building were allegedly vandalised by the police. Their tyres were said to have been slashed by the operatives.
