Lawyers Without Borders Fault IGP On SARS Reforms

Avocats Sans Frontières France (Lawyers Without Borders France) has faulted measures outlined by the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, to overhaul the activities Special Anti-robbery Squad (SARS).

The body said while it welcomes the order of the IGP for the overhaul the SARS and police in general as directed by Vice President Yemi Osibanjo SAN, “the measures outlined by the IGP are grossly insufficient to achieve a real reform and to address the concerns of Nigerians and all relevant stakeholders regarding the dangerous operations and various human rights violations of the SARS.”

In a statement in Abuja on Friday, the ASF France said fear of reprisals have stopped victims of SARS brutality from coming forward, charging the police boss to put mechanism in place to forestall reprisals.

“The ASF France can confirm from its experience in working for torture victims in Nigeria that one of the major factors that prevent victims from coming forward or laying complaints for torture and other violations meted out to them by the SARS or other units of the Police is fear of reprisal. It is therefore crucial that the IGP goes beyond providing numbers for complaints against SARS but must also demonstrate measures put in place to protect complainants and to avoid reprisals.

“The IGP must also show that the complaint mechanism will be independently monitored, transparent, effective and responsive. Closely related to this is the need to hold perpetrators of human rights violations openly accountable. This is the most important way to curb impunity within the Police system.”

The ASF further stressed that for any meaningful reform of the SARS and indeed other police units, an inclusive process of all relevant stakeholders remains critical.

“The Police must engage with actors such as the Ministry of Justice to ensure full implementation of the new anti-torture Act enacted in December 2017. This important law must play a prominent role in the reform efforts by the Police.”