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Acting President Yemi Osinbajo has ordered the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris, to “overhaul the management and activities” of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).
Osinbajo’s directive comes after months of public outrage and protests against the police unit which has, over the years, become synonymous with harassment, extortion, assault and extra-judicial killings.
In a statement issued by Osinbajo’s spokesperson, Laolu Akande, the Acting President ordered the IGP to commence immediate overhauling and investigation into alleged abuses by officers of the unit nationwide.
The statement reads in part: “Following persistent complaints and reports on the activities of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) that border on allegations of human rights violations, His Excellency, Professor Yemi Osinbajo SAN, Acting-President, Federal Republic of Nigeria, has directed the Inspector General of Police to, with immediate effect, overhaul the management and activities of SARS and ensure that any unit that will emerge from the process, will be intelligence-driven and restricted to the prevention and detection of armed robbery and kidnapping, and apprehension of offenders linked to the stated offences, and nothing more.”
See the full statement below: