Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, and ex-Senate President Bukola Saraki, have lent their voices to the call for the restructuring of the activities of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad SARS.
Atiku in a post shared on his Facebook page, said the police unit which was created to confront violent crimes such as armed robbery and kidnapping, has metamorphosed into a unit that intimidates and harasses Nigerians. He called for an urgent review of SARS operations with a view to flush out the rogue elements in it
He wrote “The Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) unit of the Nigerian Police was set up to confront violent crimes such as armed robbery, kidnapping and other related crimes. However, the unit has today morphed into an oppressor of the Nigerian masses who strive every day for a better life. Reports of intimidation, harassment and outright extortion by officers of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) have continued unabated. I strongly condemn their cruel actions against our people, and I urge the government to rise to the occasion and nip this monstrosity in the bud with the seriousness it deserves. It’s expedient that the activities of SARS are reviewed to ensure that the rogue elements are excised from the unit and sanity returned to its operations”
On his part, former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, described as ”disheartening’ reports of the continued harassment and illegal arrests and detention of Nigerians particularly young people, by SARS officers. He called on the Federal government to put an end to reprehensible activities of SARS officers.
He wrote “The reports of the continued harassment, illegal arrest, detention and high handedness by rogue cells of SARS against innocent Nigerians – most of them young people – in spite of the efforts to reform the Police & raise standards of policing are disheartening. A situation where the officers of the Police Force become a threat to the lives and property of the citizens they swore to protect is condemnable and unacceptable. I call on the Federal Government to immediately put a stop to these reprehensible activities and restructure the unit to better perform its lawful duties of safeguarding the lives and property of the Nigerian people”