IGP

By Chris Udochukwu

Abuja (Precise Post) – Former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode has said that stated the things SARS must do or face extinction.

Fani-Kayode who acknowledged the brutality and murderous tendencies of some SARS officers, described it as regrettable and unacceptable.

He therefore declared that SARS must either be reformed, made to operate within the law and made to guarantee the human rights of every citizen or they must be scrapped.

Precise Post recalls that President Muhammadu Buhari shortly after receiving briefing with the Inspector General of Police, IGP Mohammed Adamu announced to the world via his twitter handle that he has ordered reform of SARSand for the erring officers to be identified, tried and made to face the law.

Fani-Kayode who added his voice to the EndSarsNow tweeted as follows:

“The brutality & murderous tendencies of some SARS officers is self-evident. This is regrettable and unacceptable. SARS must either be reformed, made to operate within the law and made to guarantee the human rights of every citizen or they must be scrapped. #EndSarsNow #EndSARS.

By Ogechi Okorie

Abuja (Precise Post) – Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, Sunday bars the personnel of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS), Special Tactical Squad (STS), Intelligence Response Team (IRT), Anti-Cultism Squad and other Tactical Squads operating at the Federal, Zonal and Command levels, from carrying out routine patrols and other conventional low-risk duties – stop and search duties, checkpoints, mounting of roadblocks, traffic checks, etc – with immediate effect.”

The ban was contained in a statement issued on Sunday by the Force, Public Relations Officer, Frank Mba.

The officers were warned against carrying out stop and search duties, checkpoints, mounting of roadblocks, traffic checks, etc with immediate effect.

According to the Force spokesman, the IGP warned the Tactical Squads against the invasion of the privacy of citizens particularly.

This, he said, included the “indiscriminate and unauthorized search of mobile phones, laptops and other smart devices,” adding that “they are to concentrate and respond only to cases of armed robbery, kidnapping and other violent crimes when the need arises.”

Mba said the “directives come against the backdrop of findings by the leadership of the Force that a few personnel of the Tactical Squads hide under these guises to perpetrate all forms of illegality, contrary to the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), Code of Conduct and Rules of Engagement establishing the squads.”

Following the alleged brutality by security operatives in several parts of the country, many Nigerians took to the social media to express their anger over the activities of men of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad of the Nigerian police, calling for the unit to be proscribed.

On Saturday, the #EndSars hashtag was the number one trend on social media app, Twitter for several hours, bringing back to the fore calls for the proper handling of rogue, high-handed police officials.

The outrage appeared to have been triggered by a post from a Twitter user who said he recorded SARS officials shooting “a young boy dead at Ughelli, Delta state . . . in front of Wetland hotels. They left him for dead on the roadside and drove away with the deceased Lexus jeep.”

The statement reads in full:

The Inspector-General of Police, IGP M.A Adamu, NPM, mni has banned the personnel of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS) and other Tactical Squads of the Force including the Special Tactical Squad (STS), Intelligence Response Team (IRT), Anti-Cultism Squad and other Tactical Squads operating at the Federal, Zonal and Command levels, from carrying out routine patrols and other conventional low-risk duties – stop and search duties, checkpoints, mounting of roadblocks, traffic checks, etc – with immediate effect. In addition, no personnel of the Force is authorized to embark on patrols or tactical assignments in mufti. They must always appear in their police uniforms or approved tactical gear. The IGP’s directives come against the backdrop of findings by the leadership of the Force 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.

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.

The IGP notes that the FSARS and other Police Tactical Squads remain a critical component of the Force in confronting prevailing and emerging violent crimes in the country. He however condemns every act of unprofessionalism, abuse of human rights and high-handedness by some personnel of the Squads. He has therefore 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.

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.

Meanwhile, two operatives of the FSARS and their civilian accomplice operating in Lagos State, INSPR Sale James, INSPR Monday Uchiola and Okechukwu Ogbonna, have been arrested by the Lagos State Police Command, for acts of professional misconduct including extortion and intimidation of innocent citizens. The operational vehicle of the men has also been impounded and disciplinary procedure has already commenced against the defaulters.

The IGP reaffirms his commitment to bequeathing to Nigerians, a reformed Police Force that is accountable, responsible and ever ready to defend and uphold the rights of the citizens while discharging its duties of keeping the people safe and secure. He enjoins the citizens not to allow the misconduct by a few personnel of the Force to negatively impact on their belief, confidence and trust in the Police.

DCP FRANK MBA

FORCE PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER

FORCE HEADQUARTERS

ABUJA

Abuja (Precise Post) – The Inspector General of Police, IGP, Special Monitoring team from Abuja has arrested three out of five suspected land grabbers in Oba, Idemili South Local Government Area, Anambra State, following alleged encroachment and destruction of property worth #100million at Ugbo land.

It was gathered that on arrival to arrest the suspects, the trio of Mr Amala Ndozie, Ikenna Onunkwo and Samuel Onuchukwu, were arrested while two others fled and are still at large.

Making this disclosure to newsmen yesterday, the Chairman of Umuokokpa village, Comrade Ejike Madunagu, hinted that on waking up in the morning there were destructions of residential buildings, fences, and farmland by people we know in the community as land grabbers”

“What they do is that they encroach on any land/property to incite communal crisis among families/communities and then commence sale of such land while it is in crisis”

“So in this case I immediately petitioned the IGP and he sent his Special Monitoring team that came and arrested three out of five of them while two others are at large.”

“They claimed to be members of Elders’ Forum (O.E.F) that is non-existence in Oba when they were arrested and accused the police of demanding money from them to be released.

They should stop accusing the police team and allow the team to do its investigation as they cannot escape the wrath of the law.”

Speaking, the President General of Aboji Akanano Union, Chief Dozie Nweke, said, “I heard of the arrest of some of my subjects over destruction of property. It was one of them arrested, Samuel Onuchukwu, that called me and told me that they were arrested in connection with encroachment and destruction by the chairman of Okokpa village, comrade Ejike Madunagu.”

“Before the arrest, I appointed a committee to look into the destruction with a view to settling it. The police have right to arrest and I urge them to do proper investigation and I stand here to say that there is nothing like Elders Forum in Oba because if there is I should know as the PG.”

In defence of the suspects, the chairman of the Elders’ Forum where they claimed they belonged to, Chief Raphael Okonkwo, and his secretary, Chief Obi Onowu, condemned the arrest and detention of Chief Ndozi and others saying they were innocent of the offence and accused the police team of demanding N400, 000 bribe to release the suspects.

The forum said that, “the demand for such huge money for bail is a dent on the already bartered image of Nigerian Police as well as negates the position of IGP of zero corruption of Nigerian Police.”

The Elders’ Forum unequivocally demanded that the Police should immediately and unconditionally release Chief Amala Ndozi.

“The CP Elema incharge of the monitoring team should be made to face disciplinary action from the police Service Commission (PSC) aand IGP for abusing his office and bringing the name of Police to disrepute.”

The Elders’ Forum said that after 24 hours of this briefing and Chief Ndozi was not set free , they would mobilise over one million Oba citizens to match to Police to protest and demand for his immediate release.

“We demand that CP Elema and his team who arrested Ndozi should be reprimanded and sent to refresher course to learn to be in tune wit the current reality.”