JUST IN: IGP Wields The Big Stick Against FSARS, Others After Week-long Of #EndSARs Protest

Nigeria’s top police boss, Muhammed Adamu, has disbanded notorious police special teams popularly known for brute policing from carrying out certain operations of the police, weeks after the #endSARs protest resurfaced in the social media.

BIGPEN reports that among the police department that was temporarily suspended from patrolling are the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS), Tactical Squads of the Force including the Special Tactical Squad (STS), Intelligence Response Team (IRT), Anti-Cultism Squad and other Tactical Squads.

The Nigeria’s Inspector General of Police, also ordered immediate stop of operation at the Federal, Zonal and Command levels of the forces including suspending routine patrols and other conventional low-risk duties, stop and search duties, checkpoints, mounting of roadblocks, traffic checks, etc – with immediate effect.

Police Public Relations Officer, Frank Mba, who released the directive of the IGP, in a statement on Sunday afternoon, said that no personnel of the Force is authorized to embark on patrols or tactical assignments in mufti, but must always appear in their police uniforms or approved tactical gear.

The Police boss hinged his directives on recent investigative report of the Force Headquarters that a few personnel of the Tactical Squads hide under these guise to perpetrate all forms of illegality, contrary to the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), Code of Conduct and Rules of Engagement establishing the squads.

According to the statement, “Specifically, the IGP has warned the Tactical Squads against the invasion of the privacy of citizens particularly through indiscriminate and unauthorized search of mobile phones, laptops and other smart devices.

“They are to concentrate and respond only to cases of armed robbery, kidnapping and other violent crimes when the need arises”.

He noted the FSARS and other Police Tactical Squads remain a critical component of the Force in confronting prevailing and emerging violent crimes in the country.

While condemning every act of unprofessionalism, abuse of human rights and high-handedness by some personnel of the Squads, the Police Boss ordered the X-Squad and the Monitoring Unit to embark on immediate and massive nationwide monitoring of activities of Tactical Squads and other police officers on the road.

They are to ensure prompt arrest, investigation and prosecution of all erring police officers who violate these directives and other extant regulations of the Force”, he said.

The statement further reads, “The IGP has equally warned, that henceforth, the Commissioner of Police in charge of FSARS, Commissioners of Police in charge of State Commands and the FCT as well as their supervisory Zonal Assistant Inspectors General of Police, will be held liable for any misconduct within their Area of Responsibility (AOR).

He therefore charged them to ensure effective supervision and mentoring of the personnel of the Tactical Squads under their jurisdiction”.