I
bring you warm compliments from the entire Police family and take this opportunity
to express my deep gratitude to the Nigeria populace who has over the years
enlisted selfless support towards our numerous crime fighting models aimed at
advancing the security of lives and properties of all and sundry across the
nation.
Lately, the attention of the Nigeria Police
Force had been drawn to the sentiments by a segment of the society clamouring
for the disbandment or otherwise of the Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS) hash
tag “#EndSARS Now”.
The Nigeria Police Force and its Management
being a responsible and a responsive institution has monitored various concerns
generated by this concerns and counter-agitation and painstakingly appropriated
this valuable inputs from the Nigeria populace in line with our democratic
Policing tenets and commence restructuring measures geared at accommodating the
diverse interest of the vast Nigeria populace.
In keeping with the foregoing, permit that I
refresh our memories of the evolutionary exigencies that birthed the SARS as
constituted.
It is indeed trite to note that the Special
Anti-Robbery Squad of the Nigeria Police is child of circumstance occasioned by
the devious activities of the men of the underworld in the hare-days of the
Anini/Osumbo era of darkness. Its initial conception was in 1991 when violent
crimes became not only alarming but a major source of trepidation for
Nigerians. This fears resulted in several deaths and loss of properties worth millions
of naira either stolen or destroyed by men of the under-world. The SARS
initiative at that point was swift response to imminent loss of confidence from
members of the public on the ability of the Police to protect lives and
properties. Pursuant the foregoing, the creation of SARS became most expedient
to effectively arrest the ugly trend that was fast eroding public confidence
and the numerous result of this model has remained indelible in the minds of
numerous Nigerians till date.
Indeed, there is no doubt that the efforts of SARS Operatives has brought hope
and succour as demonstrated by numerous members of the public as it bothers on
the activities of various Armed Robbery/Violent crimes gangs. It has become
quit imperative to bring it to depth with ever evolving dynamics of modern
security needs of the populace in keeping with the tenets of democratic
policing.
Consequently, the Nigeria Police Force in it
proactive demonstration of its sensitivities to the yearnings and demands of
modern Policing has emplaced the underlisted measures to stem the remote
concerns generated by perceived inadequacies of the SARS Operatives;
a.
The
designation of the Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIG) Operations to lead
SARS as the Strategic Commander.
b.
The
appointment of a Commissioner of Police as a field Commander of all activities
related to SARS. Thus all SARS Operations are answerable to the DIG Operations
through the CP FSARS and Commissioners
of Police of the Commands.
c.
The
direct supervision of SARS operations in each state command under the
Commissioner of Police in charge of the state through the Deputies Commissioners/Assistant
Commissioners of Police in-charge of Operations.
d.
Psychometric
test, training and continuous assessment of operatives deployed to SARS to
determine the suitability or otherwise of their role in keeping with acceptable
standard operating procedure.
e.
The
sole mandate to prevent, confront and solve cases related to armed robbery and
generally protect the public from armed robbery and other violent crimes.
f.
Prohibition
from conducting stop and search on roads unless when necessary.
g.
Prohibition
of SARS Operatives to act as body-guards, delving into land matters, personal
disputes, debt collection and matters that are considered civil.
h.
Embark
on operations only on the permission of the CP SARS and/or DCs/ACs Operations
in the Commands they are answerable to.
i.
Operate
in official uniform clearly marked for identification.
j.
Operations
to be conducted in a non-discriminatory, proportionary, fair and accountable
manner.
In view of the foregoing, the Nigeria Police
Force under my leadership shall operate strictly guided by the human rights
principles as enshrined under the United Nations Charter on human rights and
other extant laws.
In demonstration of good faith to the
aspiration of the Nigeria populace, I have given mandate to the IGP’s
Monitoring Units and ‘X’ Squad and other oversight units of the Force to
monitor the activities of the SARS Operatives, while in the same vein, citizens
are encouraged to avail the Police ways to improve SARS Operations, across the
nation.
Once
again, thank you most sincerely, for your partnership and support to the
Nigeria Police Force.
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