#SARS Alleged Shooting In Delta: Omo-Agege Condemns Action, Says Human Life Is Sacrosanct

• As Protest Rocks Ughelli…

The Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege has condemned in a strong term the alleged activities of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) which reportedly led to the death of a young man in Ughelli, Delta state.

In a statement by his media aide, Mr Yomi Odunuga, on Sunday, the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Omo-Agege, expressed displeasure over the incessant cases of extrajudicial killings, harassment, illegal arrest and extortion of defenceless citizens by some officials attached to SARS in different parts of Nigeria.

Specifically, Senator Omo-Agege cited the alleged shooting of a man by operatives of SARS in his constituency in Ughelli, Delta State over the victim’s alleged refusal to allow the operatives to search his phone as well as another shooting of a youth in the town by men of the ‘Operation Delta Safe’ also on the victim’s alleged refusal to allow the operatives to search his phone, to buttress his argument on the need for comprehensive reforms and overhaul of  police units in the country.

Senator Omo-Agege who doubles as the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Review of the 1999 Constitution called on the police high-command authority to fish out the culprits for prosecution.

While calling on security personnel to always maintain the rules of engagement, the lawmaker representing the  people of Delta Central Senatorial zone at the Upper Legislative  Chambers urged youth in the area to exercise utmost restraint while investigation is ongoing.

“Those who are authorised to bear arms and maintain law and order in the country ought to understand that such must be exercised with responsibility especially when human life is sacrosanct.

“I hope those who are quick at pulling the trigger would adopt strategies that would foster mutual understanding between them and those they are tasked to protect, in their bid to save the lives of Nigerians. It would be a depressing twist of fate for them to be listed among those contributing to the list of the dead in this challenging period globally,” he said.

Meanwhile, hundreds of youths seen in a viral video, in a motorcade, on Sunday protested the alleged SARS brutality in the area.

The protesters’ who conveyed a white coffins to expressed their anger over the alleged SARS brutality, demanded that government should ban SARS officials from operating in the Ughelli part of Delta State, a plea the Inspector General of Police, IGP Mohammed Adamu has yielded to, following his announcement on Sunday that operatives of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS) and Special Tactical Squads (STS) have been banned from carrying out routine patrols and other conventional low-risk duties.