The Inspector-General of Police(IGP), Mohammed Adamu, has announced the disbandment of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the Nigeria Police Force.
Adamu announced this in a live broadcast on Sunday afternoon.
He said the operatives will be redeployed to other police formations and commands.
The announcement came after days of online and offline protests against the brutality and extra-judicial killings by SARS operatives nationwide.
At the briefing, the IGP said: “The Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad of the Nigeria Police Force otherwise known as SARS is hereby dissolved in all the 36 State Police Commands and the Federal Capital Territory.”
The briefing was immediately followed by a statement signed by Force Public Relations Officer, DCP Frank Mba.
The statement titled, ‘IGP Dissolves The Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS),’ read in part: “The IGP, while noting that the dissolution of SARS is in response to the yearnings of the Nigerian people, observes that by this dissolution, all officers and men of the now-defunct Special Anti-robbery Squad are being redeployed with immediate effect.
“The IGP notes that the Force is not oblivious of the ever-present need to combat armed robbery, kidnapping and other violent crimes in the country which was before now the core mandate of the erstwhile Squad.”
Five key points from the IGP’s broadcast
1. The IGP dissolved SARS across all the 36 state commands and the Federal capital Territory with immediate effect
2. All officers and men serving in the unit will be redeployed to other Police commands, formations and units
3. A new policing arrangement for tackling the offences of Armed Robbery and other violent crimes will be unveiled to the public soon
4. A citizens and strategic stakeholders forum will be launched to provide an avenue for citizens to regularly interface and advise the police authority on issues touching on the general public
5. To deal with report of crimes committed against citizens, an investigative team will be constituted which will include Civilian Society Organisations and culprits will be punished.
