The Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, has obeyed the directive of the Acting President Yemi Osinbajo over restructuring of the oft-criticized Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS.

Mr Idris now renames the unit Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad, FSARS

Earlier on Tuesday, Mr Osinbajo directed the police boss 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 strictly restricted to the prevention and detection of armed robbery and kidnapping, and apprehension of offenders linked to the stated offences.

The acting president also directed the IGP to ensure that all operatives in the emerging unit conduct their operations in strict adherence to the rule of law and with due regard to International Human Rights Law and the constitutionally guaranteed rights of suspects. The operatives should also bear proper identification anytime they are on duty.

In compliance to the acting president’s order, Mr Idris ordered the immediate overhauling of the SARS nationwide.

According to a statement made available to OkayNG.com by the police spokesman Jimoh Moshood, the police boss appointed a police commissioner to head the FSARS.

READ FULL STATEMENT

The Inspector General of Police in compliance with the Presidential directives has ordered the immediate overhauling of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) to address complaints and allegations on human rights violations against some of the personnel of Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) from members of the public in some parts of the Country.

2. In the new arrangement, a new Commissioner of Police has been appointed as the overall head of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad nationwide.

3. The Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad previously under the Force Criminal Intelligence and Investigations Department (FCIID) is henceforth to operate under the Department of Operations, Force Headquarters Abuja. The Commissioner of Police (FSARS) is answerable to the Inspector General of Police through the Deputy Inspector General of Police, Department of Operations.

4. In observance of full compliance with the Presidential directives, the Federal Anti-Robbery Squad will be intelligence driven and will be restricted to the prevention and detection of Armed Robbery, kidnapping and the apprehension of offenders linked to the stated offences only.

5. New FSARS Commanders are being appointed for the Federal Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS) across the country that will now exist and operate in the State and Zonal Commands under the Commissioner of Police (F-SARS) at the Force Headquarters, Abuja. A Federal SARS Commander of a Rank of Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) but not below Superintendent of Police (SP) will be in charge of FSARS in State and Zonal Commands across the Country.

6. All Commissioners of Police have been directed by the Inspector General of Police to comply with this directive with immediate effect and warn their personnel not to pose as SARS operatives. The IGP X-Squad and Monitoring Unit have been mandated to go round the Commands and Police Formations nationwide to ensure strict compliance with the Presidential directives and apprehend any erring police officer.

7. A new Standard Operational Guidelines and Procedures, and code of conduct for all FSARS personnel to ensure that the operations of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad is in strict adherence to the rule of law and with due regards to international human rights law and constitutionally guaranteed rights of suspects will be enforced in totality by the Commissioner of Police, FSARS. Other measures to be implemented by the Force in observance of full compliance with the presidential directives are as follows:

i. Human Rights Desk Officers for FSARS in every State to take complaints from the public and forward same to Force Headquarters, the officer will be answerable to the Commissioner of Police, FSARS at the Force Headquarters and not Commander FSARS in the States.

ii. Medical/Psychological evaluation of all FSARS personnel will be carried out immediately.

iii. Redesigning of new uniform with identity name tag for all FSARS personnel throughout the Country will be done immediately.

iv. Henceforth, FSARS personnel will not perform Stop and Search duties except on distress call to respond to armed robbery and kidnapping offences only.

8. The Force will be transparent, cooperate, and work cordially with the National Human Right Commission on the special panel that will conduct an investigation of the alleged unlawful activities of FSARS to address grievances from the public against the personnel of FSARS in compliance with the presidential directives.

9. Furthermore, a new training program to be organized by the Force in collaboration with some Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), Local and International NGOs, and other Human Rights Organizations on core Police Duties, Observant of Human Rights and Handling, Care and Custody of Suspects have been directed by the Inspector General of Police for all Federal SARS personnel nationwide with immediate effect.

10. A committee of Senior Police officers, Technical Consultants, Human Rights/Civil Society organizations (CSOs) has been setup to review the activities of FSARS under the new arrangement. They are to pay unscheduled visits to FSARS formations across the country with particular attention to States with high complaints index, to assess facilities and situations in these States and submit report to the Inspector General of Police on regular basis.

11. However, aggrieved members of the public who have any complaint in the past or present of violation of their rights by any Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) personnel anywhere in the country are to report through any of the following channels for investigation and redress.

i. DIG, Department of Operations: 08037025670

ii. IGP X-SQUAD

0902 690 0729, 08078662130, 08174041000 – CALLS

0903 227 8905 – SMS

0903 562 1377 – whatsapp

Email: integrityxsquad@gmail.com

iii. IGP Monitoring Unit: igpmonotoringabj@yahoo.com, 08036242591

iv. Commissioner of Police, FSARS: 08033476852

v. FORCE PUBLIC COMPLAINT BUREAU

07056792065 Calls/SMS/whatsapp

08088450152 Calls/SMS/Whatsapp

Email: bailisfree@gmail.com, pressforabuja@gmail.com

Twitter: @PoliceNG

www.facebook.com/ngpolice

vi. PUBLIC COMPLAINT RAPID RESPONSE UNIT (PCRRU)

08057000001 – Calls Only

08057000002 – Calls Only

08057000003 – SMS & whatsapp only

Twitter: @PoliceNG_PCRRU

www.facebook.com/PolicePCRRU

NGOs/CSOs

vii. sega@aliensmedialtd.com, 08027757359

viii. koredebello@caspertainment.agency, casperentertainment@gmail.com, 09051133035

ix. oluogunsakin@hotmail.com

x. g.writer2011@gmail.com, 07037887630

Ag. DCP JIMOH MOSHOOD

FORCE PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER

FORCE HEADQUARTERS

ABUJA

Source: https://www.okayng.com/igp-obeys-osinbajos-directive-orders-immediate-overhaul-of-sars-nationwide/

Wow

I don't really care much about either parties but I must commend Osinbajo for going back to the basics by fixing the right things.

Buhari epitomizes what's wrong with Nigeria when someone obviously more qualified and intelligent in the person of Osinbajo should've been the president.

In a sane country never mind developed country, IGP Idris would've been sacked as he has lost control of his men either willfully or due to incompetence. Too reactionary instead of proactive which is the last thing you need for police force dealing with dynamic crimes.

The curernt electoral system is not working as the best candidate are not filtering to the top due to lack of funds and tribalism. We need a change.

YOU FOR NO TALK NAA, AFTeR SARS DON WON REDUCE US FINISH ....THIS FOR NO HAPPEN IF THAT SKELETON CALLED PRESIDENT NO SICK LIKE THAT...

Beautiful, but the said people of SARS will still be in the NPF

z

Federal SARS or local government SARS
Na still the same people

They should disband that outfit called SARS
and send all their former members to jail for gross violation of human rights.

IGP knows he is on a very short leash and will obey all directives

I pray so

lovely. IGP didn't want to be transmitted the way Daura was transmitted.

A good number of them need to undergo psychiatric assessments because their minds operate from very dark places.

So the IGP is aware of all these human right abuse by his boys.
Well its good to be late than never

It's Osinbajo again!

This man has got balls.

You see, the gentility of a tiger doesn't mean it doesn't have teeth.

D

Election is coming

E

Good

I thought that has been thier name all this while

hallelujah

Make he no obey make he sack am

Commendable

Good

This shows the people have a voice that can truly be heard....

Great

Still same wine in different bottle...

Though i hope this brings a change, but Nepa changed name to Phcn using same staff, was there any change? Same problem different names. All SARS squad members should all be retrained, and fully monitored if police. But Nigeria police, i doubt.

already too late, election is around the corner

Osinbajo is decisive... Buhari should give him more powers instead of allowing himself to be manipulated by people like Lawal Daura.