Recall that the Federal Government had disbanded SARS following the protests against police brutality in October 2020 tagged #EndSARS.

However, the Special Weapons and Tactical Squad was immediately announced as the replacement for the disbanded SARS.

But, Baba while speaking at a State House press briefing in Abuja said the new formation has not been able to take off fully, thereby creating a vacuum in tackling security challenges.

“The security situation of the country has been significantly stabilise from time to time but we think if it is stabilising then are isolated insurgency coming from these zones in terms of attacks on police facilities and police personnel, even all law enforcement agencies including the military.

“Therefore, we decided to, one, rejig the morale of our personnel, which has been a little bit dampened since the #EndSARS thing went.

“With the proscription of SARS and establishment of SWAT, which has not been able to take off fully, we had a vacuum in tackling most of the violent crimes from our position of strength,” he said.

The Executive Secretary of the NHRC, Mr Tony Ojukwu, said this while fielding questions from journalists at the headquarters of the commission in Abuja.

The Presidential Panel led by Ojukwu had between 2018 and 2019 probed complaints of brutal activities of SARS and had submitted its report to the President, Major-General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) on June 3, 2019.

The NHRC on October 19, 2020, submitted the report to the AGF accompanied with a specific list of those recommended for prosecution.

Ojukwu said the two major issues raised had been addressed by the commission.

Ojukwu said, “The issues raised by the Honourable Attorney-General of the Federation as to why the prosecution seems difficult are: One, he said he has not received the original case files. Two, he said some of the police officers must be dismissed first by the Police Service Commission before they can prosecute them, of course, that is procedural. We have worked on those conditions. We have sent all the original case files, not only to him (the AGF) but to all the states, because the law says it is either the Attorney General of the Federation or the Attorney General of the states. There are about 13 states involved, and I can assure you that we have dispatched all the original case files to all the 13 states. Secondly, we have submitted the list of these officers, with other necessary documents to both the Police Service Commission and the Inspector General of Police. So, they need to do the needful. Moving forward, I expect that, once these internal procedures are tidied up, they should be able to do what they are supposed to do. This is because, as at today, we have sorted out these two obstacles identified by the AGF.”

Lalong who is the chairman of Northern Governors Forum on Wednesday, November 18, said they are not against the scrapping of SARS contrary to some misconceptions in some quarters.

He said “The Northern Governors Forum is not against the disbandment of SARS as misconstrued in some quarters. We rather caution against the blanket condemnation of the police that can erode the confidence and zeal of the hardworking and honest ones in performing their duties of protecting lives and properties. We must tackle the current challenges of insecurity in the region which is dominated by insurgency, kidnapping, banditry, rape, child abuse and trafficking and other conflicts. We shall continue to work with the Federal Government and security agencies to tackle crime and criminality. That is why we have supported a comprehensive reform of police architecture in the country”

Executive Secretary of the NHRC, Mr Tony Ojukwu who revealed that the list was an extract of the full report of the Special Presidential Panel on SARS earlier submitted to President Muhammadu Buhari on June 3, 2019, said the list of the indicted operatives was accompanied with the full report of the panel to guide the prosecution of the indicted operatives.

Ojukwu said “In line with the mandate of the panel, the commission is here today to submit the list to you, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, the list of all officers who have been indicted in the report. The list contains the names of all those who are to be prosecuted for various offences by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice. We have also brought the original copy of the full report which will also guide the office of the Attorney-General in looking at the details for the required prosecution because the summary will not have all the documents. We brought the full report which will guide the prosecuting officers.”

Sanwo-Olu appeal follows the continued protest by the Youth despite the Inspector-General of Police, IGP, Mohammed Adamu, announcement of the dissolution of SARS.

The governor made the appeal after his arrival from Ondo State where he was Chairman of the All Progressives Congress governorship campaign team.

He, however, urged the #EndSARS protesters to be peaceful, noting that dissolution of SARS by the IGP, is a victory for Nigerian youths.

Sanwo-Olu said the protests showed that people have the right to express their views, adding that “the government meant business about the disbandment of SARS. We should not doubt the government’s sincerity.

“The beauty of democracy is that people have the right to protest, to air their views, to speak out when things are not going right and I have identified with them.

“This is real democracy being played out. They have the right as our youths, as our citizens to correct and say we do not want this.

“Let me commend all of our youths that have come out in Lagos. I have been monitoring on a daily basis and it has been very peaceful. That is what we want, you can actually make your point in a peaceful and orderly manner.”

The dissolvent of the police unit is coming after several days of online and offline protests against the brutality and extra-judicial killings by SARS operatives nationwide.

The Inspector-General disclosed this in a live broadcast on Sunday afternoon at the Force Headquarters in Abuja.

According to Adamu, the operatives will be redeployed to other police formations and commands.

“The Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad of the Nigeria Police Force otherwise known as SARS is hereby dissolved in all the 36 State Police Commands and the Federal Capital Territory,” the IGP said.

Adamu, however, stated that a new policing arrangement to replace the now-defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad will be announced “in due course”.

The protesters were carrying placards emblazoned with different inscriptions like #EdnSARSNow, WeDontNeedSARS etc and were raucously chanting.

With many Police officers barricading them from entering the headquarters, the protesters demanded for the presence of IGP Adamu.

They were calling President Muhammdu Buhari’s name, urging him to end SARS now.

Recall that Adamu had informed Nigerian youths that their voices and complaints on the issues of unprofessional conducts by some SARS operatives have been heard very loudly and clearly.

On that note he 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.

Both entertainers led the protest, which took place in the Lekki area of Lagos on Thursday.

During the protest, youths were seen carrying placards and chanting #EndSARS with inscriptions on some of the placards read, ‘Enough is Enough’ and ‘We are all victims’.

Both Falz and Runtown counselled the protesters not to be violent as they engaged security operatives who attempted to disrupt the protest.

In an Instagram live chat before the protest, Falz, son of human rights activist, Femi Falana, said, “No backing down. We move. The police are already there, waiting for us but we are not here to cause trouble. It is a peaceful protest. Coming through.”

The protesters, who gathered at Lekki toll gate, are marching to Onikan and Appeal Court through the Nigerian Law School, Lagos.

The protesters are seeking the dissolution of the FSARS unit of the Nigeria Police Force.

Recall that there had been an earlier announcement that the #ENDSARS protest would be held across Lagos for three days, starting from Wednesday.

The Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, at the plenary on Wednesday, spoke on the illegal activities of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad of the Police and the abuse of human rights by its operatives.

Gbajabiamila stated that it was now time for the parliament to step in, proposing the amendment of laws that prevent interference in the affairs of the police and check the excesses of its personnel.

The Majority Leader, Alhassan Ado-Doguwa, later moved a motion of urgent national importance, on the human rights abuses by SARS operatives.

The Senate, however ordered the arrest and prosecution of operatives of SAR who were involved in the recent killings of innocent Nigerians across the country.

Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, stated this while ruling on the Senate resolution on a motion by Senator Oluremi Tinubu.

Tinubu, in her motion, drew the attention of her colleagues to the recent extra-judicial killings and human rights abuses by SARS operatives.

According to Lawan, a mere dismissal of overzealous and reckless operatives was not enough but that they must be made to face the full wrath of the law.

“Those who are involved in the recent killings of innocent Nigerians should be arrested and prosecuted.

“Scrapping the SARS now may not be the best option because the nation may lose the best hands in the agency while trying to do away with the bad eggs among them.

“The dismissal of the bad ones among them is not also enough. Offenders must be arrested and prosecuted to serve as a deterrent to others,” he said.

The red chamber also mandated its committee on Police, Judiciary and Human Rights to probe human rights abuses of Nigerians by SARS operatives in the last few years.

The chamber asked the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, to establish a special unit that will constantly investigate and monitor the conduct of SARS operatives.

It also directed the authorities of the Nigerian Police Force to utilise part of its trust fund to trains its operatives.