Police Condemn #EndSARS Campaign, Says Unit Doing ‘Fantastically’ Well

The Nigeria Police Force have condemned calls by some sections of the public to scrap the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).

Allegations of extra-judicial killings, torture, wanton arrests for bribes and other menacing conducts flooded social media since Saturday, with citizens taking their rage to the Internet with the hashtag #EndSARS.

They argue that the department, which was launched in early 2000s to combat armed robbery and other criminal activities, has become too contaminated to be reformed.

However, speaking to The Cable on Sunday, Jimoh Moshood, police spokesman, dismissed the allegations, saying the unit has lived up to its duty of curbing violent crimes

“As we speak, SARS is doing fantastically well across the country in reducing incidents of robbery to the barest minimum… they are doing very, very well,” Moshood said.

“There has not been any specific violation of human rights against any SARS personnel. So anybody that is spreading such a rumour is not doing the nation any good.

“SARS has no excesses and when there is any, we do investigate.

“The call for SARS to be scrapped should be condemned by all well-meaning Nigerians. Anybody calling for their proscription is not doing the nation any good and such people should be suspected as having something to hide.”

Moshood urges Nigerians with complaints against any police officer – “whether SARS or any other personnel” – to channel their complaints through established channels.

“Accessibility (to the police in cases of complaints) is very possible, he said, adding: “We do not take any infraction or violation of human right of any Nigerian likely. You know that so many police officers have been dismissed and even charged to court.”

“So, Nigerians should not give in to insinuations from people that just come to the social media and start spreading falsehood. Such people spreading such information may likely be armed robbers themselves.

“There is laid down rules for police procedures and any police officer that go beyond boundary to do something outrageous which is against the law is apprehended.”