SAN FRANCISCO, October 09, (THEWILL) – The ongoing calls for the scrapping of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad of the Nigeria Police should not come as a surprise to most Nigerians. The calls and the protests are simply an expression of distrust, frustration and apparent loss of confidence in the special police unit as presently constituted.
Nigerians are only telling the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, that they have had enough of the nuisance SARS has unfortunately become. And they have the absolute right to do so, especially under a democratic setting.
It is very disheartening that a good initiative meant to assist the police effectively and efficiently crack down on hardened criminals and notorious armed robbers has unfortunately been hijacked by crooks in the police.
A squad that used to be the pride of the police and one that used to send shivers down the spines of the most die-hard armed robbers, especially through their sting operations, is now being dragged in the mud.
It is indeed a sad commentary and very unfortunate that the much-respected crime-busting squad that used to do exploits to the admiration of Nigerians has now turned itself against the citizens it was meant to protect in the first instance.
That SARS, as presently constituted, has lost the full respect of well-meaning Nigerians is just an understatement, especially with the way most of the operatives now go about their duties. Behaving like “area boys” and mobs, their mode of dressing sometimes makes it difficult for the public to distinguish between them and armed robbers.
It is very disappointing that the once-respected SARS, from all indications, has been infiltrated and hijacked by the dregs of the force, who have, most unfortunately, turned the squad into another terror group, inflicting pains and sorrow on innocent Nigerians.
The question many Nigerians are still asking is: when and how did SARS suddenly become a law unto itself, especially with the manner the notorious ones among them operate?
Unnecessarily filled with crude arrogance at any encounter with innocent Nigerians, they have suddenly turned themselves into another cult group within the police, assuming greater powers than even the Area Commanders. The saying that power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely has, no doubt, found a real meaning in the atrocities being committed by SARS against innocent Nigerians.
Despite the highlighted shortcomings and the failings so far, THEWILL still believes that SARS is still relevant and should not be scrapped as the squad still has a role to play in crime busting in Nigeria.
Though, like many Nigerians, we are yet to come to terms with what really led to the current state, which, no doubt, is the dilemma of a squad which once had an officer like Abba Kyari as deputy Commander and later Commander in Lagos. .
A well-respected and fine officer, Kyari is a complete gentleman, well-mannered and very humane. Yet, he is a super crime- buster. Having led so many successful operations, Kyari, without any iota of doubt, has the respect of all Nigerians and we are not surprised that he is the most decorated officer of the Nigeria Police.
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A Deputy Commissioner of Police, Kyari is currently the Commander, Inspector-General of Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT) and a member of International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP). He successfully led SARS for five years in Lagos State Command and gave the squad the respect that the dregs that have now infiltrated the ranks are now leveraging upon and, sadly, rubbishing.
We want to believe that the problems with SARS actually started with the deployment of Kyari from the squad to head the newly-created Inspector -General of Police IRT and the problems became worse, early last year, when the Adamu, ordered the decentralisation of SARS, thus placing the squad under the direct supervision and control of the Commissioners of Police in each state Command.
The decentralisation also came with the disbandment of the Special Investigation Panel (SIP) and Special Tactical Squad (STS) and other investigation teams.
This, no doubt, started paving the way for SARS to assume undue powers to harass, detain, maim and, in some instances, extrajudicially kill people they claim to be investigating and even murdered innocent people across the country.
Interestingly, while SARS keeps on deteriorating both in the quality of personnel and output, the IRT under Kyari continues to wax stronger, becoming a nightmare to kidnappers, armed robbers and other criminals across the country.
In view of the nationwide clamour for an urgent action to be taken on SARS, THEWILL calls on the IGP to fast-track his ongoing investigations and punish all erring officers within the squad. While we are happy that the Commissioners of Police in all state Commands are already taking actions, especially in Lagos, we call for a total overhaul of the squad.
All the bad eggs and hoodlums who have infiltrated the squad across the state Commands should be flushed out immediately. There is no doubt that the rot in SARS is just a reflection of what the entire police force has become, unfortunately, under IGP Adamu.
Recruitment exercises into the police have been politicised and mired in scandals thus compromising the quality of candidates being brought into the system. It is so unfortunate that many now join the police in order to go and make money rather than the love for the job and service to the Nigerian people. The corruption in SARS and the Police as a whole is also another reflection of the rot in the country as a whole.
Just as Nigeria as a country needs a complete overhaul, SARS and the entire Police system should be reformed without any delay as a nation gets the kind of Police it deserves. The time to reform SARS and the Nigeria Police is now.
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