TheNewsGuru

Tag: SARS

  • SARS personnel to undergo new training programme – Force PRO

    Personnel of the police Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) are to undergo a new training programme, according to the Force Public Relations Officer, Mr Jimoh Moshood.

    Moshood said in a statement on Monday that the training was part of the reorganisation of SARS earlier directed by the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr Ibrahim Idris.

    The directive, according to him, is aimed at repositioning the squad for “more efficiency and effective service delivery to all Nigerians” in in accordance with the rule of law and international best practices.

    Moshood explained that the training would be organised by the Force in collaboration with some civil society organisations, local and international NGOs and other human rights organisations.

    The NewsGuru reports that the move followed the ongoing social media campaign by Nigerians for the proscription of SARS over allegations of human rights abuses across the country.

    Through the campaign, which started on Saturday with the hashtag #EndSARS, many Nigerians have accused personnel of the squad of extra-judicial killings and other forms of abuses.

    However, Moshood said SARS had been “doing very well in fighting violent crimes such as armed robbery, kidnappings and cattle rustling in the country in recent times”.

    He noted that this had seen a drastic reduction in incidents of the mentioned violent crimes nationwide.

    “However, the IGP has directed the immediate reorganisation of SARS nationwide and instant investigation into all the allegations, complaints and infractions levelled against its personnel.

    “In the new arrangement, a Commissioner of Police is now the overall head of the Federal Anti-Robbery Squad nationwide under the Department of Operations, Force Headquarters. Abuja.

    “The police zonal commands, state commands and divisions will continue to operate anti-crime units/sections, crime prevention and control squads and teams imperative to prevent and detect crime in their area of responsibilities.

    “They are also to maintain other crack squads necessary to sustain law and order and protection of lives and property in their Area of responsibilities (AOR).

    “The Federal Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS) will now exist and operate in the state and zonal commands under the Commissioner of Police (F-SARS) at the Force Headquarters,” he said.

    Moshood added that a federal SARS Commander of the rank of Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) and not below Superintendent of Police (SP) would be in charge of F-SARS in state and zonal commands across the country.

    According to him, all commissioners of police have been directed by the IGP to comply with the directive with immediate effect, and warn their personnel not to pose as SARS operatives.

    He added that IGP X-Squad had been mandated to go round the commands and police formations nationwide to ensure strict compliance and apprehend any erring police officer.

    The Force PRO urged aggrieved members of the public with complaints against SARS personnel to report through any of the following channels for investigation and further actions:
    i. IGP X-SQUAD
    0902 690 0729, 08078662130, 08174041000 – CALLS
    0903 227 8905 – SMS
    0903 562 1377 – whatsapp
    Email: integrityxsquad@gmail.com

    ii. FORCE PUBLIC COMPLAINT BUREAU
    07056792065 Calls/SMS/whatsapp
    08088450152 Calls/SMS/whatsapp
    Email: bailisfree@gmail.com, pressforabuja@gmail.com
    Twitter: @PoliceNG
    www.facebook.com/ngpolice
    iii. PUBLIC COMPLAINT RAPID RESPONSE UNIT (PCRRU)
    08057000001 – Calls Only
    08057000002 – Calls Only
    08057000003 – SMS & whatsapp only
    Twitter: @PoliceNG_PCRRU
    www.facebook.com/PolicePCRRU.

  • JUST IN : Nigerian Police releases channels for aggrieved Nigerians to report SARS personnel

    The Nigerian Police Force has reacted to calls by Nigerians for the scrapping of its Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS by unveiling different means of reporting the squad personnel anywhere in the country.

    The Police Force wrote on its official twitter handle ” Aggrieved members of the public who have any complaint in the past or present of violation of their rights by any SARS personnel anywhere in the country are to report through any of the following channels for investigation and further actions. #ReformSARS ”

    The channels made available to TheNewsGuru.com are:

  • Police IG bows to public outcry, orders investigation, restructuring of SARS

    Following calls on social media for the scrapping of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad on account of its nefarious activities, the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris has ordered immediate re-organisation of the unit.

    The police boss in a statement by the force spokesman, Jimoh Moshood on Monday in Abuja also ordered the investigation of all infractions, allegations and complaints against the operatives of the squad by the IGP X-Squad.

    He noted that the SARS had been doing well curbing violent crimes but expressed concern over the calls for its disbandment, noting that the unit would be re-organized and repositioned for efficiency and effective service delivery to all Nigerians.

    Idris said, “Under the new arrangement, a Commissioner of Police is now the overall head of the Federal Anti-Robbery Squad nationwide under the Department of Operations, Force Headquarters Abuja.

    “The Police Zonal Commands, State Commands and Divisions will continue to operate anti-crime units/sections, crime prevention and control squads and teams imperative to prevent and detect crimes and criminalities in their area of responsibility and other crack squads necessary to sustain law and order and protection of life and properties.

    The IG further added that the FSARS will now exist and operate in the state and zonal commands under the Commissioner of Police at the Force Headquarters.

    “A Federal SARS Commander of a Rank of Chief Superintendent of Police and not below Superintendent of Police will be in charge of FSARS in State and Zonal Commands across the country,” he stated.

    The statement explained that all Commissioners of Police have been directed by the IG to comply with the directive with immediate effect and to warn their personnel not to pose as SARS operatives.

    It noted that the X-Squad had been mandated to go round the commands and police formations nationwide to ensure strict compliance and apprehend any errant police officer.

    The police further stated that a new training programme to be organized by the Force in collaboration with some civil society organizations, local and international groups and human rights organisations on police duties and human rights would be held for all FSARS personnel nationwide.

     

    The force has however asked anyone with complaints against SARS personnel to report through any of the following channels for investigation and further actions:
  • #ENDSARS: Atiku, Amnesty International, others join support for scrapping of SARS

    #ENDSARS: Atiku, Amnesty International, others join support for scrapping of SARS

    Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar has joined a social media campaign #ENDSARS to scrap the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), a unit the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) over its alleged assault and brutality of young Nigerians.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the social media, especially Twitter has recently been awash with intense calls for the scrapping of the unit.

    The former Vice President who joined the campaign on Sunday tweeted: The arbitrary harassment of young Nigerians by Police (who should be protecting them) has no place in a democratic society.

    The #EndSARS protest shows Nigerian youth are upset and the matter needs urgent attention.

    Also, Amnesty International also accused the police unit of allegedly using torture to forcefully extract information from suspects.

    However, as a way of pacifying the public, the Nigerian Police Force Public Complaint Rapid Response Unit, PCRRU, had on Saturday announced the opening of channels through which the public can report complaints about SARS.

    The move by the PCRRU may be connected to the public outcry that has trailed the activities of many SARS officials in recent times.

    Late in October 2017, a 2015 graduate of Kwara State Polytechnic, Ekwere Imoh, was shot by policemen attached to SARS, Oyo State Police Command. The policemen also shot a female friend of his, identified simply as Doris, who was with him. There were no concrete reasons for shooting the duo as they were neither criminals nor under arrest.

    Earlier in the same month, a lady, Kachi Anifela Zion, accused officers of SARS in Ilorin of sexual molestation. She said a male SARS official under the pretence of searching her, dipped his hand in her underwear.

    She further revealed that the SARS official threatened to beat her if she shouted, adding that the officer continued to fondle, rough handle and humiliate her for several minutes. The SARS official implicated in the matter was later arrested.

    See reactions from social media below:

  • BAYELSA : Jailbreak averted in SARS custody, three weeks after several inmates’ escaped

    BAYELSA : Jailbreak averted in SARS custody, three weeks after several inmates’ escaped

    Barely three weeks after 10 suspects reportedly escaped from the cell of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, another attempt was averted on Friday.

    The State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Asuquo Amba, confirmed the attempted cell break in a telephone interview.

    The commissioner said the incident occurred in broad daylight when the suspects were taking their bathe.

    Amba said that some inmates had overpowered the policeman guarding the cells, who opened the burglary proof for them.

    He added that unknown to the inmates, the outer gate in the detention facility was locked.

    The police boss said, “It was a tense situation, but the prompt alertness of other policemen around the area saved the situation. None of the suspects escaped, but the fact of the matter is that we do not have proper detention facilities.

    “It is a makeshift arrangement; an office with burglary proof. We were lucky to avert this on, but that does not mean that it will not happen again. The suspects can still plan another one; we desperately need to build proper detention facilities to hold suspects.

    “The makeshift facilities we have are overstretched and we have written to the state government as well as engaged the judiciary to quicken the dispensation of justice because it is the slow pace of prosecution that makes our facilities overcrowded.

    “The dearth of facilities here is hampering our efforts at policing the state.”

    It will be recalled that some suspects detained at the SARS facility in Yenagoa, the state capital, had on November 7, 2017, escaped from the cell.

    The State Police Command had said that out of the 10 suspects that escaped, three were rearrested.

     

  • Wike vs Police: Rivers local council orders SARS to vacate premises

    There is apparently no peace between Rivers State Government and the Commander, of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, [SARS], Akin Fakorede, ever since the latter was accused by the state government of kidnapping and hijacking ballot boxes during elections.

    TheNewsGuru.com has on Friday obtained a notice of eviction served by Obio-Akpor Local government to SARS command to vacate the Obio-Akpor International Market, Rukpokwu, in Obio-Akpor Local government area of Rivers State, which may not be unconnected to the ongoing feud as earlier mentioned.

    The eviction notice was signed by the Legal Adviser of Obio-Akpor Local government council, Victor Owhonda Wokem.

    In the notice, the council gave SARS one month to vacate the property, with emphasis to leave on or before the 30th of November this year.

    The Obio-Akpor Local government Council said the decision to evict SARS was to allow for major renovation work to be carried out on the property.

    Copied in the quit notice are the Rivers state government, the Inspector General of Police and the Rivers State Commissioner of Police.

    Speaking with TheNewsguru.com on the condition of anonymity, a source said the ongoing brawl between Wike and SARS boss is due to the governor’s inability to control the security outfit.

    “Recall that Wike has served two terms as the Chairman of Obio-Akpor Local government council, he holds sway there and it is part of his arm-twisting tactics, to get SARs out of the state.” He said.

    Read the notice: