₦airaland Forum

Ibime:
Who is watching "Journey of an African Colony" on Netflix about the history of Nigeria. Very interesting program

I have seen the first 6 episodes, really informative series.

I have never had any personal encounter with this dare devil before and I won't wait till I have one before calling for their outright ban and not reform.people that never made it alive dont have any stories to tell.Everyone narrating their ordeal with SARS, can't be making up stories.so I support they should end them.

Skimpledawg:
Look at this uncle.

I do Pizza, sharwama, chops, fried turkey laps and chilled wine to stream it down.

If you want locust eating prophets, elrony is your best bet.

Bunsenbun:
well,i Think it is because people can't differentiate SARS from other tactical units.Even Armed Robbers Self Dey Pretend To Be SARS.they dont usually wear their uniforms,nah the f up b dat.

You sure say you yourself no be SARS so ?

popizaino:
I have never had any personal encounter with this dare devil before and I won't wait till I have one before calling for their outright ban and not reform.people that never made it alive dont have any stories to tell.Everyone narrating their ordeal with SARS, can't be making up stories.so I support they should end them.

Lol Nigerian Police is filled with illiterate unprofessional idiots.

Tactical unit my asss.

I have been lucky to survive them thrice, on one occasion twas even inside my house I had AK 47 pointed at me.

PS: I don't have dreads, piercing or tattoos neither do I sag my pants.

Bunsenbun:
well,i Think it is because people can't differentiate SARS from other tactical units.Even Armed Robbers Self Dey Pretend To Be SARS.they dont usually wear their uniforms,nah the f up b dat.

SARS are mostly the armed robbers, how do you differentiate armed robbers from armed robbers?

Bunsenbun:
this will be the first time, "SARS REFORM WILL BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY"

You must be a troll

airmark:
Elrony

You don see that rogue plofet na

airmark:
It will not be well with you.

Oloriburuku, omo ti won bata ki won fi ra candle.

Small play

engrelvis:
can u tell me any place in d world dats is completely crime? U can reform n nt disband. Disbanding will b dangerous.Another thing those SARS men make returns to their ogas at d office.reforms shud start from there.No mata what u can't over emphasize d importance of police men in our society. Make dem strike for just one day. Sleeping will b difficult at home.some of us r worse dan SARS at various place of work. So we protest let look inwards n make sure our hands r clean.ls only den d gradual change can really begins!!

Engineer, you can't teach a geriatric dog new tricks.

Didn’t know this Bryson Tiller got some good stuff going for him, proper album alongside Daystar making my night

iamoyindamola:
It will not be well be you, your miserable wife that opened her smelling pussy for you and the low life kids she bore.
You will all die from SARS bullets akosi bero
Koni dafun gbogbo malebi e
Eni ri odun tonbo ema parun ni

Kilode?

This is gross tho, haba

elrony:
SARS are mostly the armed robbers, how do you differentiate armed robbers from armed robbers?

hmm.how did you arrive at "sars are mostly the armed robbers"

elrony:
You must be a troll

why?.Aren't you the "fake prophet"?.

popizaino:
You sure say you yourself no be SARS so ?

hahaha,i am too young to be a sars official.Shebi dem talk say nah illiterate full sars.ahbeg i no be illiterate

iamoyindamola:
It will not be well be you, your miserable wife that opened her smelling pussy for you and the low life kids she bore.
You will all die from SARS bullets akosi bero
Koni dafun gbogbo malebi e
Eni ri odun tonbo ema parun ni

This is just so wrong.

pkasso:
Airmark and iamoyindamola, see as una dey gberayin shepe? Na wa o!

I shock pass Buhari wen I checked the translations
Is that what it really means?
Not cool though

olabode89:
I have seen the first 6 episodes, really informative series.

I stopped at the Aba women's riots. I did not know 95% of those killed were in Opobo. I always thought the thing only happened in Aba.

The one wey trip me na how Lugard conquered Kaduna, Kano, Sokoto, Katsina and Bornu empire with just two machine guns. Oboy technology good oh. Sultan of Sokoto came out with 15,000 men and 650 men with two machine guns chased him from Sokoto to Maiduguri.

biomustry:
I shock pass Buhari wen I checked the translations
Is that what it really means?
Not cool though

That's not the actual translation, and no I can't bring myself to type the translation.

Ibime:
I stopped at the Aba women's riots. I did not know 95% of those killed were in Opobo. I always thought the thing only happened in Aba.

The one wey trip me na how Lugard conquered Kaduna, Kano, Sokoto, Katsina and Bornu empire with just two machine guns. Oboy technology good oh. Sultan of Sokoto came out with 15,000 men and 650 men with two machine guns chased him from Sokoto to Maiduguri.

Lugard was a bad mofo, straight up war dog. Yeah, the Gatling gun was ace for Lugard, dude defeated all of them nothern city states with pristine efficiency.

I didn't even know that records of those killed in skirmishes like the Aba women riot were kept. The crazy thing is that most of them records are kept at libraries in the UK.

Founder of SARS speaks. He made some great points.

Ibime:
How I founded SARS in the Police – RTD CP Midenda.

Recently, there were public demonstrations for and against the continued existence of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, a dreaded anti crime unit of the Nigeria Police Force. The vexatious issue which took the front burner in national discourse resulted in the big question about how SARS came to be. There have been claims and counter-claims. One of the gallant officers of the force whose name kept on ringing bell over the issue is Simeon Danladi Midenda, a retired Commissioner of Police. He was the Nigerian Contingent Commander to United Nations Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1998. In the mission, he was appointed Deputy Chief of Operations in Mostar Region. He was Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of Criminal Investigations Department, CID, in Umuahia, Abia state,, Deputy Commissioner, CID in Federal Capital Territory and also Deputy Commissioner, Operation in the Federal Capital Territory. At Force headquarters level, he was the Commissioner of Police, Federal Operations. He finally retired as the Commissioner of Police, Borne State in March 20 12. The search for him to comment on the issue was, no doubt, herculean but rewarding at the end of the day. He spoke volumes about SARS.

Excerpts

In the beginning

SARS was founded by me in 1992. For a proper understanding of this, historical background to its formation is relevant. Anti-Robbery as a modus operandi of the Nigeria Police Force for combating armed robbery has been as old as the Police Force itself. As a unit also, anti-robbery had always existed in all Criminal Investigation Departments at Force Headquarters, Zonal and State Command levels. To claim that I founded SARS, therefore, requires explanation.

Historical background

In 1992, Col. Rindam. a military officer from Plateau State met his death at the hands of police operatives at a check point in Lagos. Upon discovery of that, the army took to the streets in Lagos in search of any policeman. As a result, policemen abandoned the streets in Lagos and withdrew to barracks. Robbers then had a field day in Lagos, operating with impunity. It took two weeks of talks before the military and police authorities succeeded in convincing the army chaps to return to barracks and for the police to come back to the roads. By that time, it was too late. Armed robbers were in control in Lagos and the like of Shina Rambo could not be challenged by any force.

At this time, I was in-charge of Anti Robbery Unit of the State CID in Benin. Benin

was notorious for armed robbery but my unit and I brought the armed robbers to their knees forcing them to flee out of Benin. Then one day. I was summoned to the office of the

Commissioner of police in Benin and when I got there, the Commissioner of Police handed over a copy of a signal message from the Inspect-General of Police for me to read. The IGP then was Alhaji Aliyu Attah. The message was simple: “CP, I congratulate you. I have observed with keen interest that no robbery was recorded in Benin for the past nine days.” The CP looked up at me and said have you seen that? It is from the IGP himself”, I replied “yes sir”. He then gave me some words of encouragement and asked me to keep it up.

Not quite one month after this and amidst happenings in Lagos, the then Commissioner of Police in Benin, Late James Danbaba was moved to Lagos. Barely one month after, I was also transferred to Lagos but the then CP Osanaye, who took over from Mr. Danbaba refused to release me and wrote a letter of appeal to the IGP requesting him to rescind the decision to transfer me out of Benin. A week later, a bombshell came from the IGP. I was ordered to report in Lagos within three hours. This time, I was a Superintendent of Police.

Formation of SARS

I reported in Lagos as ordered. I met late James Danbaba as the Commissioner of Police, Sir Mike Mbama Okiro, former IGP and the present Chairman, Police Service

Commission, as Deputy Commissioner of Police, Operations and late Abdulyekini

Adoeye, as the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Administration. They asked me to set up an anti-robbery team strong enough to make sure robbers were dislodged from Lagos. To start with, fifteen fully armed men and two plain coloured Peugeot station wagons were given to me. Mr. Taiwo Lakanu, now an Assistant Inspector-General of Police, AIG, was appointed my second in command. It must be noted that at this time, there were already three anti-robbery squads operating in Lagos. One, that of Force CID, Alagbon Close but based at Adeniji-Adele, one attached to Zone two command and the third at Panti, Lagos state CID.

With the existence of these three separate anti-robbery units already operating in

Lagos therefore, I needed a name that was unique with which my own team was to be called and communicated with. After several days of trying to coin a name, I failed to come up with a unique name, catchy and strong enough to send a message that somebody different was in town. At the end, I simply added the word ‘Special’ to the already existing Anti-Robbery Squad and it came up with “Special anti-Robbery Squad” abbreviated as SARS. That was how the name SARS came into the Nigeria Police vocabulary. Before this time, Special Anti-robbery Squad as a name or the abbreviation SARS never appeared in any kind of police communications.

Modus Operandi

The secret behind the successes of the original SARS was its facelessness and its mode of operation. We operated in plain clothes and used plain vehicles that could not be associated with security or any government agency. Members could not carry Walkie Talkie openly talk less of guns. With the spate of robberies in Lagos, we realized the danger of carrying weapons openly. We also realized that by carrying weapons openly, we have destroyed the element of surprise. We will now be known by robbers while they will remain unknown.

We were fully combatant and combat ready at all times. We stayed under cover while monitoring radio communication of conventional police operatives. As soon as robbery was reported anywhere in Lagos, we went out with speed, each team to a predetermined location. At our various locations, we patiently waited while the conventional policemen continued to chase the robbers around Lagos. In their bid to escape, the robbers almost always fell into our traps and met their waterloo. All robbers arrested in combat had no option but give us details of their composition and numbers of the operations they had carried out before their arrest. This information were used to solve previous cases of robberies and gave us names of other robbers still on the loose to go after. We never stood on the road looking for robbers. We met them in their beds. We did not also receive direct complaints from members of the public but allowed the DPOs to do their job and hand over to us established cases of armed robbery for further follow up action. In the same vein, alter taking over a case from DPO but failed to link their suspects with any robbery, we usually sent them back to the DPO for them to be charged with lesser offences.

Challenges

Our operations were not without challenges. Chief among difficulties was the issue of injured robbers. It is highly difficult to arrest a robber without application of force except, probably, if he is met at his place of leisure. Robbers arrested during shoot out will most likely be dead or injured. The injured ones were those giving us information and preserving them was most paramount to us. There was no money voted for treatment of injured suspects. So, when we took suspects to hospitals, we paid from our pockets. Courts also were not receiving injured robbers except when they were properly treated. If we struggled to meet up with the requirements of the court, the same rejection awaited us at the prison. Another challenge was the risk of our lives. Any day we went out on operation, none of us was sure of coming back alive. In the eight years I headed SARS in Lagos, I lost twelve operatives and sixteen informants to robbers. Our being underground saved most of us.

SARS at present

SARS as earlier conceived, operated as I have analysed for eight years while I remained as the head. Until the year 2002 when I was transferred to head the state CID in Umuahia, SARS never existed outside Lagos. Today, SARS exists in every state command. How it got to where it is today, I have no knowledge. One thing that is clear to me is that they have deviated from the original concept. The controversies engulfing SARS today will not disappear unless they return to the original concept. They should undergo reorientation and thereafter, disappear from public view and remain faceless. They should avoid receiving direct complaints from members of the public as most cases received that way will eventually be civil issue but printed in armed robbery colour.

On Control from Abuja

SARS from its inception is a crime fighting outfit. They are to respond instantly to robberies as they occur. For it to be effective, it needs to be under someone who will instantly call them out as incidents occur; someone who will monitor and modify their operations as they progress. Such functions can’t be performed by a Commissioner of Police in Abuja as SARS are located in all the states. The command Commissioners who confront robbers as events are unfolding should take charge. They are there on the spot. Cases of unresolved robberies should be left to the State Criminal Investigations Departments to investigate. Anybody claiming to be SARS Commissioner of Police in Abuja cannot directly monitor and control operations as robberies occur.

olabode89:
Lugard was a bad mofo, straight up war dog. Yeah, the Gatling gun was ace for Lugard, dude defeated all of them nothern city states with pristine efficiency.

I didn't even know that records of those killed in skirmishes like the Aba women riot were kept. The crazy thing is that most of them records are kept at libraries in the UK.

The part that pained me was the unnecessary amalgamation and how so easily it could have been two different countries.

Ibime:
The part that pained me was the unnecessary amalgamation and how so easily it could have been two different countries.

I need to watch this ASAP.

Ibime:
Founder of SARS speaks. He made some great points.

Very revealing interview.
SARS needs to go back to their original concept indeed, if that is possible. Away from the public eye.
The kind of backlash i received on my whatsapp and twitter feed today no be here when I was calling for a reform.
I was inundated and bombarded with stories and videos of numerous victims of SARS brutality. I was deeply sympathetic to what I saw. I sure hope a solution is found soonest. That outfit has done some terrible things.

Ibime:
Founder of SARS speaks. He made some great points.

Just imagine as at 1992 when SARS was formed they've been treating injured robbers with their personal money ( we all know there is no such thing as personal money here; rather the money they recover either from robbers or their victims in the cause of their policing work)

I'm sure it is this inadequate funding that has further emboldened the SARS guys over the years to look for ways of making money for themselves by extortion all in the name of trying to fund their anti-robbery duties.

Like the man rightly said, these guys should be off the streets. If there should ever be any tactical team in place to combat robbery, then their operations should be intelligence based and not the yeye random stop and search they are now known for. People get kidnapped, killed or robbed on the road that links Kogi to Abuja, those are Flashpoints these guys are needed not Victoria island, lekki where normal everyday people are going about their lives

[color=royalblue] Larride, what's happening with state policing?

I've always seen it as the only option forward.
[/color]

Ibime:
Founder of SARS speaks. He made some great points.

We dey hardly see SARS for street before, that's what made em feared by criminals. Now na rogue elements and hardened criminals full the unit

donjazet:
Very revealing interview.
SARS needs to go back to their original concept indeed, if that is possible. Away from the public eye.
The kind of backlash i received on my whatsapp and twitter feed today no be here when I was calling for a reform.
I was inundated and bombarded with stories and videos of numerous victims of SARS brutality. I was deeply sympathetic to what I saw. I sure hope a solution is found soonest. That outfit has done some terrible things.

I for stone you if you dey my WhatsApp

The first real step to actually reforming SARS is to #EndSARS


They have been "reformed" like 4 times now, even with a name change. All faux.

Airmark and iamoyindamola please stop this heavy curses please I take God beg Una two.

I can't take side on this because I don't know what precede this horror fight but all I can say is please no matter the tension you can resolve it with anything even physical fight is reasonable than this heavy curses; because wether it is going to pass or not prayer is better than curse.

...

Thankfully - from indications - it seems Mendy will miss only the Southampton game.

gensteejay:
...

I've heard a lot of good about the Rapid Response Squad. Wish SARS had nearly as much discipline.