Showing posts with label #End SARS. Show all posts
Showing posts with label #End SARS. Show all posts
BY Unknown Monday, August 27, 2018 0

Reformed SARS: New rules of engagement











  1. No FSARS personnel is allowed to interfere in any civil matter.
  2. They are not allowed to interfere in cyber crime (yahoo yahoo).
  3. No FSARS personnel is allowed to conduct a stop and search exercise unless there is a distress call from victims or members of the public.
  4. They are not allowed to be involved in commercial matters (debt recovery, landlord vs Tenant issues).
  5. They are also not allowed to interfere in any social/relationship cases (marital matters, boyfriend/girlfriend relationship).
  6. They are strictly for armed robbery and kidnapping cases!
Nigerians know your right and lets be great again.
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BY Unknown Monday, December 11, 2017 0

Coalition holds #EndSARS rallies nationwide today

Coalition holds #EndSARS rallies nationwide today



A coalition of civil society groups will on Monday (today) hold rallies nationwide to press home their demand for the dismantling of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad by the police authorities for alleged high-handedness.
The movement said the rally would hold in Abuja ​​​at the Unity Fountain; Lagos – ​​​Gani-Fawehinmi Park, Ojota; Warri – ​​​Enerhen Junction; Jos​​​ – Polo Terminus and Port Harcourt​​ – Garrison Junction.
The peaceful protest would also take place in Kaduna​​ – Murtala Square; Ibadan​​ – Mokola Junction and Awka​​​ – Wetheral/Okigwe Road Roundabout, the coalition said in a statement on Sunday in Abuja.
The organisers of the protests included Convener #EndSARS, Segun Awonsonya; Convener, Concerned Nigerians, Deji Adeyanju, Coordinator, Coalition in Defence of Nigerian Democracy, Ariyo Atoye; Adebayo Raphael of the OurMumuDonDo Movement, and Abdul Mahmud and Bako Usman of the Campaign for Democracy.
The group said they were appalled by the brutality and extrajudicial executions perpetrated by the SARS operatives, noting that the government must put an end to the lawlessness by the squad in the country.
It contended that the allegations against the squad, some of which were corroborated with pictures and videos, showed that the unit had outlived its usefulness and had become a menace to the Nigerian society.
“We are appalled by the stories told by victims, friends and family members of victims who have recounted experiences of extortion, torture, murder and disappearance of friends and loved ones.
“To this end, we will be holding a series of peaceful protests around the country on Monday, December 11, 2017 at locations in several cities to call for the immediate dissolution of SARS as a police unit,” the coalition stated.
The movement explained that its protests would also demand greater funding of the police, better training, provision of equipment and insurance for police personnel among other issues.
“Whilst calling for the scrapping of the unit, we are also calling for greater funding of the police, better training, the provision of better equipment and living quarters, the provision of insurance, the establishment of a stricter code of conduct, the public prosecution and discipline of errant police officers and such other connected matters,” the #EndSARS campaigners disclosed.
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BY Unknown Sunday, December 10, 2017 0

If we end SARS, robbers will take over — Police

If we end SARS, robbers will take over — Police

The Force Spokesman, Jimoh Moshood, talks about SARS and the complaints against some of its personnel with ADELANI ADEPEGBA
what is the requirement for enlistment in SARS?
The Special Anti-Robbery Squad is a specialised unit of the Force that deals with armed robbery, kidnapping, cattle rustling, car snatching and the like; any crime involving use of firearms. Like in Numan, Adamawa State where militia are attacking people, the SARS had been deployed along with other units of the Force. To be in SARS, first, you must be a policeman, a general duty officer, and you must have been in the job for not less than five years. You must also have prerequisite experience before you can be posted to the squad. The officer would also undergo operational training as well as training on handling of suspects. We are quite concerned with the complaints against SARS and that is why the Inspector-General of Police has directed its re-organisation. We know that most of the complaints and allegations against SARS are not always true, but the IG has ordered an investigation to ascertain them. He has also directed that human rights desk be set up in all the state commands to handle rights abuse by SARS operatives. So, the people who started the #EndSARS campaign can channel their grievances to the desk officers for investigation. SARS has been in existence for over 40 years and it is essential to the force, so we cannot dismantle it.
Why did it take the police this long to re-organise the squad despite several allegations against the personnel?
I won’t argue that it took some time for the re-organisation. Since the IG assumed office, he has been instituting internal reforms in the operation of the force. He also fashioned out some creed which is like our Bible or Quran guiding our work. This creed has been drummed into the operatives and everywhere he goes, he impresses it on the personnel to respect human rights, shun corruption and indiscipline and to be civil. To say it took us long to re-organise the squad would not be correct because when he assumed office, he directed the training of SARS operatives by some civil organisations and the Red Cross. What we are saying is that, some of the complaints in the social media are genuine, and some happened five, six years ago and some are bringing them up now. We know that any organisation that is subject to public opinion has to grapple with the responsibility of educating the public constantly. We can’t say because there are one or two infractions, we should end SARS because if you end SARS, robbers would take over. We appreciate the patriotism of those demanding an end to SARS, but other groups are equally saying, reform SARS. So if they have any complaint against the unit, let them tell us and it would be addressed.
Since you admitted that some complaints against SARS were genuine, why did you say those behind #EndSARS campaign are armed robbers?
We issued a press release and there was nowhere I mentioned that those calling for end to SARS are armed robbers. I never said that, but people can twist any issue. As a well-bred public relations officer, I would never call anybody armed robber. People should know where the calls are coming from, so anybody that has complaint against SARS should come forward. Like I said, some of them are genuine, but people should follow up on their complaints. We want those behind the campaign against SARS to have a rethink and join us in supporting SARS for the safety of all Nigerians.
What punishment awaits any SARS operative indicted for professional misconduct?
We don’t spare anyone found wanting. If anyone is found wanting, the appropriate measure would be taken. In this regard, if it is the rank and file, such officer would be defaulted, or dismissed from the Force if he was indicted for discreditable conduct. Most of the time, what we witnessed is the complainant pleading on behalf of an indicted officer or not showing up in court to give evidence.

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BY Unknown Thursday, December 07, 2017 0

Police handcuffed my hands to a car seat – BudgIT official arrested for holding meeting

Adelani Adepegba, Abuja
Moses Motoni, an official of a civic organisation, BudgIT, has narrated how his legs were chained and his hands handcuffed to a seat by some policemen who arrested him.
He stated that he was apprehended in Kaduna and brought to Abuja for holding a town hall meeting in Bida, Niger State, on budget tracking.
The victim, who was released by the police in Abuja on Wednesday, after uproar on the social media, said he saw hell in the hands of police personnel, who dehumanised and treated him like a criminal.
Speaking to journalists on his experience, Motoni explained that he was not informed about his crime, adding that the policemen simply said he was arrested for “inciting the populace and trying to impeach the Emir of Bida.”
Motoni’s troubles began when he visited Niger State last Saturday to sensitise residents of the Niger South Senatorial District to the zonal intervention projects awarded to their constituency in the 2017 budget.
The projects were the installation of transformers and electrification of Nowanya-Tawadzuru, Tiffin-Emitswachi-Tawadzuru and Tako communities in the Gbako Local Government Area, Niger South Senatorial District, Niger State as stated in the 2017 Appropriation Act.
Moroni was arrested on Tuesday after he was tricked into visiting the DHL office at Markafi Market, Kaduna, to pick a parcel.
He was reportedly forced into vehicle and brought to Abuja by policemen who disguised as DHL personnel.
The BudgIT worker explained that he simply enlightened the people about the constituency projects and how to track the budget, noting that he was surprised by the allegations that he wanted to incite the public and impeach the traditional ruler in the area.
 He said, “I was arrested in Kaduna and our journey from there to Abuja was hell for me because I was handcuffed on both legs and my elbows were handcuffed to a chair, which dislocated my joints.
“I wasn’t sitting; I squatted from Kaduna to Abuja, which was a journey of about two and a half hours. It was when I got to Abuja that I was told about the reason for my arrest.”
Motoni denied that his engagement with the Bida community would lead to a breach of the peace, noting that the idea of budget tracking was to encourage the community members to engage their representatives at the National Assembly and ensure that the projects were implemented.
 “They (policemen) said they got a complaint that I was trying to incite the public, create a breach of trust and impeach the Emir. But this is not true; I went to the community to educate the people on how they can engage their representatives on the implementation of the projects,” he stated.
 The civic worker said he was not cowed by his detention, noting that he would still visit Niger State to continue his advocacy.
The team lead, BudgIT, Oluseun Onigbinde, explained that the budget tracking project was meant to simplify the budget and create citizens awareness about the fiscal document so they could demand accountability from their representatives.
He condemned Motoni’s arrest, which he alleged was instigated by the NASS representatives from the area.
He explained that shortly after the town hall meeting, a senator had made a phone call to Motoni, inviting him to a meeting in his house, which he declined “because BudgIT tracking personnel were not allowed to meet with public officials privately.”
Onigbinde said, “After this, we believe the senator reached out to the Nigeria Police Force and accused Motoni of plotting to topple the Emir of Bida following which he was arrested, handcuffed and taken to SARS’ office in Abuja.”
“We condemn this abuse of power by the police and we plan to take up the issue with President Muhammadu Buhari and the Senate President; we will also reach out to the United Nations and the United States on this issue,” he added.
The police could not be reached for comment as the mobile phone of the Force spokesman, Jimoh Moshood, rang out.
He had also yet to reply to a text message sent to his phone as of the time of filing this report.
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BY Unknown Sunday, December 03, 2017 0

#EndSARS: We won’t scrap SARS, Police reply anti-SARS campaigners



Say those calling for scrapping of SARS are armed criminals
By Joseph Erunke
ABUJA-THE Police high command has said contrary to the ongoing social media campaign calling on it to scrap its Special Anti-Robbery Squad unit, it has no such intention whatsoever.
This was even as it said contrary to claims of wrongdoings against SARS by those it referred to as “criminals”, the anti-robbery unit has done a lot in sanitising the country.

The police said those carrying out the campaign in the social media were armed robbers who have found the operations of the special unit so hot for their activities, and challenged them to come out for identification so that it can investigate them.
It also asked well meaning Nigerians to disregard what it described as so-called special media campaign against SARS, insisting that the campaigners were armed robbers who relocated to the social media it referred to as “comedians centre” to drum up support to achieve their aim.

Force Public Relations Officer,Jimoh Moshood, a Chief Superintendent of Police, CSP, told Vanguard on a telephone conversation that those carrying the campaign for scrapping of SARS were criminals who want to unit scrapped so that their activities can thrive, vowing that the criminals won’t have their way.
He dared those with allegations of wrongdoing against SARS to show up with their evidence or shut up, insisting that the police would not bow to their antics to regain freedom in their nefarious trades.

Hear him: “Anybody calling for scrapping of SARS is an armed robber, let him come forward so that we can investigate him.
” Any complaints they give against any police personnel, everybody knows that we don’t hide it.
“We have a Public Complaints Bureau which handles complaints. So if anybody is calling for scrapping of SARS, we don’t need to be reminded that they are criminals just using the social media.”
The Force Public Relations Officer added: “If there are robbers that are operating and Special Anti-Robbery Squad engage them and somebody would now put something in the social media and say they should scrap SARS, I think it’s unfortunate.
” If there are specific allegations against any police officer whether SARS or no SARS, there’s a control mechanism for any of us that violates the rights of Nigerian citizens to be dealt with appropriately.
“You have seen instances where police officers have been tried, found guilty and charged to court.
“Those mechanisms are there, so it would be mischievous for anybody to call for scrapping of SARS. You want armed robbers to take over everywhere?”
He spoke further:”So, those who are calling on the scrapping of SARS are people to be suspected, I think they are robbers themselves.
“If there are complaints of atrocities against any police officers, they are being dealt with appropriately, we don’t hide them.
” You have been reading how police men that misbehave in their lines of duties are being dealt with. So anybody that is calling for scrapping of SARS has something to hide.
“The police authorities cannot and will not scrap the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS for these criminals to thrive because it’s not our problem.
“The people that have been fighting armed robbery, fighting kidnapping and make a lot of successes?
” Look at the number of people they have arrested along Abuja-Kaduna highway, look at the case of Evans. Don’t you know that Intelligence Response Team has elements of Special Anti-Robbery Squad in them.
” I’m just trying to let you know the viability, so we shouldn’t be dancing to the tone of the social media, that’s the comedians centre.
“If a person would call for the scrapping of SARS, is the person not an armed robber himself?
“They are just carrying their campaign in the social media.”
Recall that Nigerians at the weekend re-record their campaign on social media calling on the police authorities to immediately scrap its Special Anti-Robbery Squad unit over allegations of some atrocities being carried out by men of the unit.
The campaign tagged:#EndSARS had dominated the social media space at the weekend with Nigerians alleging extra-judicial killings, wanton arrests and dispossession of properties through physical assault and other intimidation tactics against the men of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad unit of the Nigeria Police.
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