- Nigerians Make Fresh Demands From Buhari, Police
- Want President’s Executive Order
Aftermath of the scrapping the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS) in a declaration made by the Inspector General of Police, Mr Mohammed Adamu, Sunday, deluge of reactions have been trailing the decision as it appears the #EndSARS protests are not about to fizzle out just yet.
While some have commended the Nigerian government for heeding the call of reasoning, Nigerians are still loud on the #EndSARS campaign, with many becoming circumspect on the ability of the police to stay true to its resolutions as reeled out by the police boss owing to sundry failed promises on stopping police excesses in the country in the past.
Nigerians are calling on the police to go a step further by overhauling the entire police force and implement a sweeping reform across board to promote professionalism and civility among members of the force.
A call has gone out to President Muhammadu Buhari to address the nation on the FSARS disbandment, as well as issue an executive order to bolster the IGP’s declaration in effectively disbanding the squad.
Other demands include the immediate release of all protesters apprehended by the police; justice and compensation to families of all the victims of police brutality in the country. Also, protesters want an independent body be set up to investigate all cases of police brutality within 10 days and bring erring officers to justice.
The New Diplomat learnt that the protests are likely to continue this week as Nigerians from all works of life continue to rally support to press home the various demands they have highlighted on this burning issue.
The FSARS, a police unit, has been accused of extortion, intimidation, harassment and murder of many young Nigerians as many view the outfit as instrument of public harassment and citizen’s oppression in Nigeria.
In a live broadcast on Sunday, the IGP said the unit had been dissolved “with immediate effect”, a move that was “in response to the yearnings of the Nigerian people”.
He added, however, that all FSARS officers would be redeployed to other police commands, formations and units, drawing condemnation by some activists online who pledged to keep up their campaign demanding accountability and justice for the victims of police brutality.
However, many have asked the police to come up with a better security arrangement that would continue to tackle violent crimes like armed robbery, kidnapping and cultism in the country, yet devoid of the excesses and overzealousness documented against FSARS.
In June, a report by Amnesty International said it has documented 82 cases of torture, ill treatment and extra-judicial execution by the SARS between January 2017 and May 2020.
