Amnesty International has reacted
to the disbandment of Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS) and other
special squads by the newly-appointed Inspector General of Police, Adamu
Mohammed.
AIG Mohammed had on Monday
ordered the decentralization of SARS which was earlier centralized at the Force
Headquarters.
Mohammed gave the order at a
meeting with officers in the rank of Commissioners of Police and above on
Monday in Abuja, ordering that with the new arrangement, commissioners of
police in the 36 states and the FCT would assume full command and control all SARS
in their commands.
The police boss said henceforth,
the SARS unit in the force headquarters would be under the Deputy
Inspector-General of Police in charge of Force Criminal Intelligence and
Investigation Department (FCIID).
Reacting, Amnesty International
in a statement signed by its Director, Osai Ojigho said the disbandment of SARS
“Acknowledges years of outcry from Nigerians over human rights violations
routinely committed by its members”
Ojigbo said that the new
development, however, commendable was not enough measure by the Nigerian Police
to stop human rights abuses by the police.
The statement reads, “The
disbandment of the notorious Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS)
acknowledges years of outcry from Nigerians over human rights violations
routinely committed by its members. However, disbandment alone is not enough
and must be followed with concrete reforms that will end gross violations by
the police altogether.
‘Wide-ranging reforms must be
carried out so that Nigerians can trust the police to provide law enforcement
according to Nigerian laws and international standards. The toxic climate of
fear and corruption perpetrated by the police must end.
“Much more needs to be done to
end unnecessary and excessive of force, extrajudicial killings, torture,
arbitrary detention and extortion. Wide-ranging reforms must be carried out so
that Nigerians can trust the police to provide law enforcement according to
Nigerian laws and international standards. The toxic climate of fear and corruption
perpetrated by the police must end.
“Previous attempts to end the use
of torture by the Nigerian police have proven ineffective.
“To draw a line under these
atrocities, they must be investigated, and the perpetrators brought to justice.
“Compelling evidence of crimes
and human rights violations committed by FSARS is widely available, including
in reports by Amnesty International and can aid effective investigation of
crimes committed by the squad.”
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