Osinbajo assures anti-SARS protesters of justice, police reforms

• Group wants sexual offenders prosecuted

There is no need for executive order to disband the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), the Personal Assistant to the President on New Media, Bashir Ahmad, has declared in his verified Twitter handle, BashirAhmaad.

The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Adamu, had on Sunday announced the disbandment of the squad, after days of public outcry by protesters across the country.

However, #EndSARS campaigners insisted yesterday that the street protests would continue until President Muhammadu Buhari issued an executive order scrapping the unit. The protests continued across the country on Monday despite the IGP’s pronouncement.

Ahmad, however, argued that SARS was not created by any executive order or legislative act, noting that the IGP had the authority to disband the squad, which he had done.

His words: “The defunct SARS was a unit of the police. It was an administrative creation of the IGP, not created by any executive order or legislative act.”

IN the same vein, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has said that government is committed to full-scale police reform as well as ensuring that wrongdoers are duly investigated and prosecuted.

The Vice President told State House correspondents at the Presidential Villa yesterday, just after Buhari had assured Nigerians that the disbandment of SARS was government’s first step to extensive police reforms.

In a statement made available to The Guardian by his Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Laolu Akande, the Vice President disclosed that the president spoke about the prosecution of errant law enforcement agents.

FOLLOWING the disbandment, government has been urged to dismiss and prosecute any officer found complicit in cases of sexual and gender-based violence.

The Communications and Advocacy Manager, Social Development Integrated Centre (Social Action), Lillian Akhigbe, urged government to also deal with allegations of rape, sexual harassment and other forms of gender-based violence by law enforcement agents in the country.

Akhigbe noted that amid the uproar against the activities of SARS personnel, it was pertinent to also draw the attention of the government and the public, to the increasing cases of sexual violence involving some unscrupulous security operatives in Nigeria.

LostAddict1:
Their must be a form of presidential order, we wouldn't our efforts to end up like the other year's. So its either the presidency bends to our will or the protest continues.

PassingShot:

Please go on with the protest. Anyone begging you guys not to continue with it after the original demand has been met is high on codine.

By all means, you guys should carry on and let's see how it ends.

LostAddict1:


The demand has not been met, we asked for them to reform the polices and also create an independent panel that would look into the injustice melted out by Sars.

So till the demands are met Aluta Continua, Victoria Ascerta.

PassingShot:

And the reform and the panel will happen overnight?

Please carry on with the protest and let's see how it ends. No matter how popular and intense it'd be, it won't reach the level of the Black Lives Matter protests recently concluded in the US.

PassingShot:

And the reform and the panel will happen overnight?

Please carry on with the protest and let's see how it ends. No matter how popular and intense it'd be, it won't reach the level of the Black Lives Matter protests recently concluded in the US.

southniyikaye:
Without an executive order, everything the igp has been saying na dust

LostAddict1:


We are not struggling to make like the #BLM protests, we are only demanding that we live our lives without fear. Also, if you feel nothing serious can come out of this let the NPF continue killings let us where it will end the country. The youths are the live force of any nation.

seunmsg:


Was the SARS unit created by executive order?

We need to be more realistic at this point. SARS has been disbanded and that is no longer in doubt. The leaders of the protest should sit down with the leadership of the police force to discuss whatever is left of their demands that are yet to be met.

I will suggest the protest is put on hold today to enable meaningful engagement. We all want reform but reform can’t be done overnight. Let’s engage the police force and draw a realistic time frame for them to reform the force. No point making unnecessary demands like an executive order or gazetting of SARS proscription.

His words: “The defunct SARS was a unit of the police. It was an administrative creation of the IGP, not created by any executive order or legislative act.”

sammy329:
SARS has been disbanded, the president also said it, why are these MISCREANTS still shouting #Endsars. It seems some of them are having an intention of revolution, FG should just use force on these THUGS.


Protests is not needed again, why waste more lives. FG is too soft on these THUGS, by now I expect the DSS to have arrested 80% of the influencers fanning flames of war on twitter.