SARS Brute Policing: Senate Wades In, Sets To Probe Extrajudicial Killings

The Nigerian Senate, following public outcry and condemnation, has waded in into the call for the scrapping of the dreaded Special Anti-Robbery Squad, a unit of the Nigeria Police Force.

Senate President, Ahmed Lawan, on Wednesday says rather than scrap the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (F-SARS), they would commence the investigation of the extrajudicial killings by the Police unit.

He argued that not all personnel of SARS engaged in extra-judicial activities while reacting to a motion moved by Senator Oluremi Tinubu.

Tinubu had called on the attention of the Senate to the growing outrage from Nigerians regarding the nefarious activities and profiling of Nigerians by SARS personnel.

She stated that SARS operatives harass, arrest and extort Nigerian youth unconstitutionally.

She also said the incessant killings of Nigerians by SARS personnel directly negates both local and international human rights charter Nigeria subscribes to.

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But Senator Lawan during the Wednesday plenary, disagreed that scrapping the police unit was a solution to the myriad of extrajudicial killings and human rights violations by SARS operatives.

According to the Senate President, one of the solutions is to arrest and prosecute police officers who have engaged in extrajudicial killings.

Federal lawmakers who debated the motion say the abuse and human rights violations by the police, particularly, SARS have reached alarming levels.

The Senate is consequently directing its committees on Police and Human Rights to investigate cases of human rights violations and extrajudicial killings by the police.

The lawmakers are also asking the police to set up hotlines for Nigerians to report abuses and human rights violations by its officials.

The upper chamber is further asking the police to set up a monitoring unit to look into the operations of its men.

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BIGPEN reports that this development is coming after the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, last week, banned F-SARS personnel and other Tactical Squads of the Force from embarking on routine patrols.