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
''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.'' he wrote
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.
''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 safe guarding the lives and property of the Nigerian
people.''
Clergyman, Apostle Johnson Suleman, on his part, called for the outright proscription of SARS.
''SARS should be proscribed..they are a disgrace to the police
force..they are worst than the 'criminals' they claim to be
against..their trigger-happy nature have rendered mothers childless,sent
youths on premature extinction.wasted destinies.they will reap what
they sow''he tweeted