ON THE DISBAND OF SARS – A DANGEROUS DEVELOPMENT
October 12, 2020 | News
With reports that the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Adamu Mohammed, has announced the immediate disbandment of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), following nationwide protests over its brutality, in my own opinion, I believe it is dangerous if the disband of SARS is allowed to remain so.
ON THE DISBAND OF SARS – A DANGEROUS DEVELOPMENT
With reports that the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Adamu Mohammed, has announced the immediate disbandment of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), following nationwide protests over its brutality, in my own opinion, I believe it is dangerous if the disband of SARS is allowed to remain so. This is because, I believe the consequences of having the said SARS disbanded, are more severe than having them around but well-managed.
Like I said before, agreed that the Special Anti-Robbery Squad has long been accused of harassment, unlawful arrests, torture and even murders, but these are issues with most Security Outfits across the world, including in the United States of America, which can always be mitigated with proper management of the unit and training of the Officers concerned in the said Force/Unit. And like I said in my last write up in this regard, the said EndSARS protests, are believed to be allegedly sponsored by internet fraudsters, otherwise known as yahoo-yahoo boys, and was also hijacked by hoodlums, which led to the death of a Police Officer in Ughelli Delta State.
This is a response to my write on this issue from Prof. Christopher Orubu: “Zik, you are very right. I think we have degenerated to the depth of the abyss to the extent that the Nigerian society now accepts criminality as a way of life. Otherwise, we would not be watching how 16-year olds are building big mansions and buying exotic cars without asking questions about the sources of the income of these new brands of millionaires. Even the legislature has fallen to this senseless vice. What a shame on a country that was great, once upon a time. So, yahoo boys have become such a big force in Nigeria!”
Another response from Pius Ogbeni on this End-Sars protest issue: “The lGP has disbanded the SARS... Yahoo boys are now happy and we should expect increase in robbery cases. I have driven passed SARS on several occasions and have never been harassed as claimed. I agreed with you that the protest is 80% stage managed by the yahoo boys. Too bad.”
Though, the IGP, while noting that the dissolution of SARS is in response to the yearnings of the Nigerian people, and that by this dissolution, all officers and men of the now defunct Special Anti-robbery Squad are being redeployed with immediate effect; however, I am of the opinion that the Nigerian Police Authorities should reconsider this move, and re-establish the SARS with a more well-defined reformation that would address whatever excesses they have before now. The truth is that, these protesters do not mean well. What most of them need is to have free access for their criminality and fraudulent activities to continue undisturbed. I have seen videos of some of these young people provoking security operatives drafted to maintain law and order. Such rascality should stop.
For the likes of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State, who hailed the dissolution of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), and stressed that disbandment is not enough to tackle the myriad of human rights abuses confronting the Nigeria Police Force, let me state that I disagree with Governor Okowa because these protests are violent in nature because it actually caused the death of a police officer and some persons. Is the police officer, they allegedly killed not a human-being? Why should people supposedly fighting for human rights deliberately provoke the Nigerian security operatives? More so, are we endorsing yahoo yahoo boys and fraudulent activities in Nigeria by our leaders?
The crime rate in the country is increasing day by day, and there is the need for all relevant authorities and the Government concerned, to do more in the area of fighting violent crimes head on. Can the likes of Governor Okowa and his family move freely around today without the heavy presence of Security personnel?
Regardless of the fact that the IGP had noted that “the Force is not oblivious of the ever present need to combat armed robbery, kidnapping and other violent crimes in the country which was before now the core mandate of the erstwhile Special Anti-Robbery Squad,” as he assures that “a new policing arrangement to address anticipated policing gaps, the dissolution of SARS would cause has been evolved and shall be announced in due course;” my take is that the Nigerian Police should never give in to the dictates, whims and caprices of these yahoo yahoo boys – protest or no protest. The safety and security of the Nigerian populace should always be paramount in all that they do. I know that the Nigerian Police as a body needs some reform and adequate funding, to make it more attractive for the educated and best brains to join the force, but I believe they should not pour the water out with the baby when addressing some genuine public concerns regarding the activities/operations of some of their Units.
Zik Gbemre.
October 12, 2020.
We Mobilize Others To Fight For Individual Causes As If Those Were Our Causes
With reports that the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Adamu Mohammed, has announced the immediate disbandment of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), following nationwide protests over its brutality, in my own opinion, I believe it is dangerous if the disband of SARS is allowed to remain so. This is because, I believe the consequences of having the said SARS disbanded, are more severe than having them around but well-managed.
Like I said before, agreed that the Special Anti-Robbery Squad has long been accused of harassment, unlawful arrests, torture and even murders, but these are issues with most Security Outfits across the world, including in the United States of America, which can always be mitigated with proper management of the unit and training of the Officers concerned in the said Force/Unit. And like I said in my last write up in this regard, the said EndSARS protests, are believed to be allegedly sponsored by internet fraudsters, otherwise known as yahoo-yahoo boys, and was also hijacked by hoodlums, which led to the death of a Police Officer in Ughelli Delta State.
This is a response to my write on this issue from Prof. Christopher Orubu: “Zik, you are very right. I think we have degenerated to the depth of the abyss to the extent that the Nigerian society now accepts criminality as a way of life. Otherwise, we would not be watching how 16-year olds are building big mansions and buying exotic cars without asking questions about the sources of the income of these new brands of millionaires. Even the legislature has fallen to this senseless vice. What a shame on a country that was great, once upon a time. So, yahoo boys have become such a big force in Nigeria!”
Another response from Pius Ogbeni on this End-Sars protest issue: “The lGP has disbanded the SARS... Yahoo boys are now happy and we should expect increase in robbery cases. I have driven passed SARS on several occasions and have never been harassed as claimed. I agreed with you that the protest is 80% stage managed by the yahoo boys. Too bad.”
Though, the IGP, while noting that the dissolution of SARS is in response to the yearnings of the Nigerian people, and that by this dissolution, all officers and men of the now defunct Special Anti-robbery Squad are being redeployed with immediate effect; however, I am of the opinion that the Nigerian Police Authorities should reconsider this move, and re-establish the SARS with a more well-defined reformation that would address whatever excesses they have before now. The truth is that, these protesters do not mean well. What most of them need is to have free access for their criminality and fraudulent activities to continue undisturbed. I have seen videos of some of these young people provoking security operatives drafted to maintain law and order. Such rascality should stop.
For the likes of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State, who hailed the dissolution of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), and stressed that disbandment is not enough to tackle the myriad of human rights abuses confronting the Nigeria Police Force, let me state that I disagree with Governor Okowa because these protests are violent in nature because it actually caused the death of a police officer and some persons. Is the police officer, they allegedly killed not a human-being? Why should people supposedly fighting for human rights deliberately provoke the Nigerian security operatives? More so, are we endorsing yahoo yahoo boys and fraudulent activities in Nigeria by our leaders?
The crime rate in the country is increasing day by day, and there is the need for all relevant authorities and the Government concerned, to do more in the area of fighting violent crimes head on. Can the likes of Governor Okowa and his family move freely around today without the heavy presence of Security personnel?
Regardless of the fact that the IGP had noted that “the Force is not oblivious of the ever present need to combat armed robbery, kidnapping and other violent crimes in the country which was before now the core mandate of the erstwhile Special Anti-Robbery Squad,” as he assures that “a new policing arrangement to address anticipated policing gaps, the dissolution of SARS would cause has been evolved and shall be announced in due course;” my take is that the Nigerian Police should never give in to the dictates, whims and caprices of these yahoo yahoo boys – protest or no protest. The safety and security of the Nigerian populace should always be paramount in all that they do. I know that the Nigerian Police as a body needs some reform and adequate funding, to make it more attractive for the educated and best brains to join the force, but I believe they should not pour the water out with the baby when addressing some genuine public concerns regarding the activities/operations of some of their Units.
Zik Gbemre.
October 12, 2020.
We Mobilize Others To Fight For Individual Causes As If Those Were Our Causes