Special Anti-Robbery Squad

Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) is a dreaded controversial police unit in the Nigeria Police Force.[1] The Special Anti-Robbery Squad is a unit under the Force Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department headed by the Deputy Inspector General of Police Anthony Ogbizi. The DIG receives its directives from the Inspector General of Police. SARS as it is popularly called is known for extortion, torture, framing up suspects and even blackmail.[2] While the police unit has proven effective against crime, it is believed that the unit is corrupt. SARS have become a controversial police unit in Nigeria since 2012 according to reports.[3]

History

The Special Anti-Robbery Squad was founded in 1992 by former police commissioner Simeon Danladi Midenda. The major reason SARS was formed was when Col. Rindam, a Nigerian Army Colonel was killed by police officers at a checkpoint in Lagos. When the information reached the army, soldiers were dispatched into the streets of Lagos in search of any police officer. The Nigerian police withdrew from checkpoints, security areas and other points to interest for criminals, some police officers were said to have resigned while others fled for their lives. Due to the absence of police for two weeks crime rate increased and SARS was formed with only 15 officers operating in the shadows without knowledge of the army while monitoring police radio chatters. Due to the existence of already established three anti-robbery squad which was operational at that time, Midenda needed to distinguish his squad from the already existing teams. Midenda named his team Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS). After months of dialogue the Nigerian Army and the Nigeria Police Force came to an understanding and official police duties began again in Lagos. The SARS unit was officially commissioned in Lagos following a ceasefire by the army after settlement.

SARS is one the 14 units in the Force Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department which was established to detain, investigate and prosecute people involved in crimes like armed robbery, kidnapping and other forms of crimes.

In 2009, after several years of operations the squad grew in number and strength. Due to the surge of internet fraudsters and cultism in universities, SARS operatives infiltrated Nigerian universities, made several successful arrest but in the process harassed innocent youths. According to a publication by Pulse.ng a Nigerian news website, "What SARS became was a national scourge that a witch-hunt machinery against Nigerian youth with dreadlocks, piercings, cars, expensive phones and risque means of expression."[4]

In May 2010, Amnesty International disclosed that it would be suing the Nigerian Police over Humans Rights Abuse stating that the Special Anti-Robbery Squad in Borokiri, Port Harcourt arrested three bike riders and detained them for over one week while being "beaten every night with the butt of a gun and iron belt."[5] On 20 May 2010 a Federal High Court in Enugu State, ordered the then IGP Ogbonna Okechukwu Onovo to produce a Special Anti-Robbery Squad officer who had gunned down a 15 years-old boy in high school. According to the SARS officer, the teen was mistaken for a kidnapper.[6] On 27 July 2010, an extensive editorial report was published by Sahara Reporters on how SARS among other police unit profit 9.35Billion Naira ($60million) from roadblocks and extortion within 18 months.[7]

On 3 June 2011 the Nigeria Police Forced discovered an attempt by a SARS operative Musa Agbu to bomb the force headquarters because the IGP Hafiz Ringim scuttled his ambition.[8]

Following several reports of human rights violation by members of the public to the office of the Inspector General of Police, on 7 August 2015 the then IGP Solomon Arase announced that it would be splitting the SARS unit into two units, operational unit and the investigation unit to curtail case of human rights violation.[9] In September 2016, Pulse.ng compiled a report on Nigeria Police brutality with the heading "Meet SARS, the Police Unit with license to kill". The report highlighted the brutality and ignorance of the rules of engagement in the Special Anti-Robbery Squad.[10]

Modus Operandi

During its formation The Special Anti-Robbery Squad was known to operate covertly. SARS operatives were not allowed to be on police uniform, publicly carry guns or have walkie-talkies. They were given unmarked vehicles with sometimes no license plates or private plate numbers during duty.[11]

Controversy

End SARS Campaign

In December 2016, Segun Awosanya started an online advocacy campaign to end SARS brutality in the country.[12] Awonsanya started the online campaign with an hashtag, #EndSARS. The public responded well to the hashtag with people all over Nigeria posting their SARS experience. The campaign got international attention from media.[13][14]

Presidency's Attempt to Reform SARS

On 14 August, 2018 the Acting President of Nigeria Yemi Osinbajo ordered with immediate effect the "Overhaul" of the controversial police unit SARS following reports of human rights violation. The acting president ordered the Inspector General of Police Ibrahim Kpotun Idris to reform SARS as well as carrying out an independent investigation after “persistent complaints and reports” that concerns human rights violation.[15] After the order, the IGP announced that the unit would be renamed to Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad,[16] a new head of the unit would be appointed and also the provision of human rights desk officers to check reports.[17][18]

Decentralization of SARS

On 21 January 2019 IGP Mohammed Adamu ordered the immediate decentralization of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad. The SARS unit was centralized from the force headquarters in Abuja since its inception, the IGP also stated that the DIG of Force Criminal Investigations Department and Commissioners of Police in each state would be held accountable for actions of the SARS.[19][20]

Incidents

On 10 August, 2019 while SARS operatives were on a raid in Ijegun to arrest kidnappers in the area, operatives of the unit fired several shots in a bid to subdue the kidnappers and during the course of action a stray bullet hit a pregnant woman, she reportedly died on the spot. An angry mob was said to have lynched two police officers on spot.[21][22][23]

On 21 August 2019, four SARS operatives were arrested and charged with murder after being caught on film manhandling and then shooting to death two suspected phone thieves in broad daylight.[24] The two suspected phone thieves were shot dead after they had been arrested.[24]

On 5 September 2019, operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad in Lekki, Lagos allegedly kidnapped, tortured and robbed Nigerian rapper Ikechukwu Onunaku. According to publications by Punch Nigeria the rapper was forcefully made to make several withdrawals at the ATM to pay SARS operatives for doing nothing.[25][26]

References
  1. "How I founded SARS in the Police – RTD CP Midenda". Vanguard News. 2017-12-23. Retrieved 2020-02-25.
  2. "The Killing Force: Nigeria Police Turn Their Guns On Defenceless Citizens". P.M. News. 2011-11-07. Retrieved 2020-02-26.
  3. Salami, Lawal (2019-12-19). "Hands in the hair: Nigerian police and men with dreadlocks". Global Comment. Retrieved 2020-02-26.
  4. "#EndSARS: What exactly is the status of SARS?". Pulse Nigeria. 2019-01-23. Retrieved 2020-02-26.
  5. "Amnesty Slams Nigeria For Rights Abuse". P.M. News. 2010-05-27. Retrieved 2020-02-26.
  6. "Nigeria: Ovoko Killing - Court Orders IG to Produce Police Officer". allAfrica.com.
  7. siteadmin (2010-07-27). "How Police Personnel Raked In 9.35Billion Naira From Roadblocks In The Southeast-Nigeria In 18 Months". Sahara Reporters. Retrieved 2020-02-26.
  8. "Police foil attempt to bomb Force Headquarters". Vanguard News. 2011-06-04. Retrieved 2020-02-26.
  9. "Police IG splits anti-robbery squad, SARS, to check abuses - Premium Times Nigeria". 2015-08-07. Retrieved 2020-02-26.
  10. "Meet SARS, the Police Unit with license to kill". Pulse Nigeria. 2016-09-23. Retrieved 2020-02-26.
  11. "How I founded SARS in the Police – RTD CP Midenda". Vanguard News. 2017-12-23. Retrieved 2020-02-26.
  12. "#EndSARS?". Latest Nigeria News, Nigerian Newspapers, Politics. 2017-12-13. Retrieved 2020-02-26.
  13. "Nigeria anger at police brutality video". BBC News. 2017-12-04. Retrieved 2020-02-26.
  14. Kazeem, Yomi. "Young Nigerians are calling for a brutal special police unit to be scrapped". Quartz Africa. Retrieved 2020-02-26.
  15. "Nigeria: SARS overhaul is positive step but reforms must be robust". www.amnesty.org. Retrieved 2020-02-26.
  16. siteadmin (2018-08-14). "After Osinbajo's Order, Police Rename SARS 'Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad' (FSARS)". Sahara Reporters. Retrieved 2020-02-26.
  17. "Nigeria's acting president orders overhaul of controversial police unit". Reuters. 2018-08-14. Retrieved 2020-02-26.
  18. "Meet SARS, the Police Unit with license to kill". Pulse Nigeria. 2016-09-23. Retrieved 2020-02-26.
  19. "IGP Adamu orders immediate disbandment of SARS". Pulse Nigeria. 2019-01-21. Retrieved 2020-02-26.
  20. Opejobi, Seun (2019-01-21). "IGP Adamu disbands F-SARS". Daily Post Nigeria. Retrieved 2020-02-26.
  21. siteadmin (2019-08-10). "Police Commiserates With Family Of Woman Killed By Operative". Sahara Reporters. Retrieved 2020-02-26.
  22. Published. "UPDATE: Mob kills policeman, injures two". Punch Newspapers. Retrieved 2020-02-26.
  23. "Ijegun mob beats policeman to death for killing tailor". P.M. News. 2019-08-10. Retrieved 2020-02-26.
  24. https://punchng.com/breaking-police-arrest-officers-who-killed-suspected-igando-phone-thieves/
  25. Published. "How SARS kidnapped, assaulted, robbed me —Rapper, Ikechukwu". Punch Newspapers. Retrieved 2020-02-26.
  26. "Ikechukwu narrates how he was kidnapped by men of SARS [Video]". Pulse Nigeria. 2019-09-05. Retrieved 2020-02-26.
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