End SARS

The End Special Anti-Robbery Squad (END SARS) is an advocacy against the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, a unit of the Nigerian Police Force. [1] The campaign started as a social media campaign using the hashtag #ENDSARS to demand that Nigeria's government should scrap and end of the deployment of Nigeria Police Force Special Anti-Robbery Squad, popularly known as SARS.[2] [3] [4] Nigerians have shared stories of how the SARS engage in unlawful arrest, high-handedness, humiliation, detention and extortion. A petition signed by 10,195 people has been submitted to Nigeria's National Assembly calling for scrapping of SARS.[5]

Protest

Moving the campaign from social media to the streets of Nigeria, the campaigners organized series of protests in Abuja,[6] The campaigners threatened to go on protest if the government fails in scrapping SARS.[7]

Controversy

The campaign generated controversies when the Nigeria Police Force Public Relations Officer Jimoh Moshood, accused the campaigners to be criminals.[8] The Inspector General of Nigeria Police Force, Ibrahim K. Idris has ordered the reform and reorganization of SARS.[9] While Nigeria's Senate backed the call for scrapping of SARS.[10] An international human right organization known as Amnesty International accused the officers of SARS of detaining young Nigerians illegally and extorting money from their relations.[11]

Special Anti-Robbery Squad

SARS is a branch of the Nigeria Police Force under the Force Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (FCIID). The squad deals with crimes associated with armed robbery, car snatching, kidnaping, cattle rustling and firearms associated crimes. The SARS officers carries guns, but does not wear Nigerian police uniforms nor wear badges[12].

References

  1. ↑ Kingsley, Omonobi (4 December 2017). "ANTI-SARS CAMPAIGN: IG orders investigation of anti-robbery squad". Kingsley Omonobi & Joseph Erunke. Vanguard Newspaper. Retrieved 31 January 2018.
  2. ↑ Salaudeen, Aisha (December 15, 2017). "Nigerians want police's SARS force scrapped". Aljazeera. Aljazeera. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  3. ↑ Editor (December 17, 2017). "End SARS as a Mob Project". Thisday Newspapers Limited. Thisday Newspapers Limited. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  4. ↑ Ogundipe, Samuel (December 3, 2017). "#EndSARS: Police mum as Nigerians recount atrocities of Special Anti-Robbery Squad". Premium Times. Premium Times. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  5. ↑ Ibrahim, Mansur (December 3, 2017). "TRENDING: Nigerians say 'enough is enough', it is time to #EndSARS". The Cable. The Cable. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  6. ↑ Bella, Naija (December 11, 2017). "#EndSARS: Nigerians take to the Streets in Protest". Bellanaija. Bellanaija. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  7. ↑ BBC, Pidgin (December 3, 2017). "'End SARS or we go protest for January 2018' - Nigerian youths". BBC. BBC Pidigin. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  8. ↑ Erunke, Joseph (December 3, 2017). "#EndSARS: We won't scrap SARS, Police reply anti-SARS campaigners". Vanguard Newspaper. Vanguard Newspaper. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  9. ↑ Adewole, Kehinde (December 10, 2017). "SARS reform is the best alternative to #EndSARS". The Cable. The Cable. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  10. ↑ Busari, Kemi (December 5, 2017). "Senator backs calls for Police SARS scrapping". Premium Times. Premium Times. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  11. ↑ Salaudeen, Aisha (December 15, 2017). "Nigerians want police's SARS force scrapped". Aljazeera. Aljazeera. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  12. ↑ Salaudeen, Aisha (December 17, 2017). "Nigerians want police's SARS force scrapped". Aljazeera. Aljazeera. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
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