By Shakirudeen Bankole
International solidarity continues to swell around the ongoing nationwide protest against police brutality in Nigeria, as well as the demand for good governance, with the latest effort being an imminent probing into how the United Kingdom Government’s Development Funds have benefitted the country’s security apparatus over the years.
Indication emerged Thursday, that the UK Government may have commenced the process of investigating whether its Conflict, Stability and Security Fund Project in Nigeria, aimed at “increasing the capacity of Nigerian Kidnap Units to deliver anti-kidnap and kidnap response capacity,” had in any way, unintentionally aided the atrocities of the disbanded Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS), with a view to unraveling, and holding those responsible accountable.
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In a letter dated October 15, 2020, a member of UK Parliament, Kate Osamor, wrote Rt. Hon. Dominic Raab, a Member of Parliament and Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, House of Commons of the UK, demanding to know whether or not the UK government has ever supported the disbanded FSARS and in what form specifically.
Osamor represents Edmonton. She is the Chairman of All-Party Parliamentary Group on Nigeria.
Osamor stated that such inquisition becomes expedient at this time, given the “recent protests against Nigeria’s Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), which has been involved in at least 82 cases of torture, ill-treatment, and extra-judicial execution since January 2017, and coupled with the concerns generally with the corruption and brutality in Nigerian law enforcement.”
According to her, given these concerns, “it is obviously extremely important that no UK development spending finds its way into the pockets of groups within Nigeria who are guilty of these crimes.”
The MP demanded to know from his colleague, who is in charge of the administration of such funds, to confirm whether the UK government has directly or indirectly provided any funding or other support to the disbanded SARS unit of the Nigeria Police Force.
Read also: Breaking! IGP Disbands FSARS Nationwide, Heeds #EndSARS Call
“If support has been provided,” he asked, “can you confirm whether it was in form of training, the provision of equipment, funding or another form of support?”
The MP further demanded to know that in the event that such support had been previously given, “what due diligence and risk assessments were undertaken prior to the implementation of the project; and what steps is your department taking to ensure that any support given by this government to SARS did not facilitate abuses.”
While it is not clear how this process would pan out eventually, some of the Nigerian protesters believe huge intervention would bring the erring members of the disbanded SARS to justice and bring succour to the families of their victims.
Speaking with The New Diplomat, Abodun Ajayi, the Public Relations Officer for the National Youth Council of Nigeria, Lagos State Chapter, said “the youths need all the helps – locally, regionally, and internationally, to help reform the country’s rotten policing system, and entrench a social system that would promote justice, accountability, and good governance.”
