Torture, Bribery Now Lucrative Business For SARS Operatives – Amnesty Int’l

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Human rights organisation, Amnesty International, has exposed alleged corrupt practices of operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) in a report it released on Wednesday, 21st September, 2016.

The organisation accused the SARS of brutalising inmates in their custody for bribe. It also accused the police unit of stealing from the inmates and their families before their release is secured.

“A police unit created to protect the people has instead become a danger to society, torturing its victims with complete impunity while fomenting a toxic climate of fear and corruption,” Damian Ugwu, Amnesty International’s Nigeria researcher said.

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“SARS officers are getting rich through their brutality. In Nigeria, it seems that torture is a lucrative business,” Ugwu said.

The report cited a case of a 32-year-old Man, Chidi Oluchi, who was allegedly tortured during detention by operatives of the SARS in Enugu state after which he allegedly paid N25, 500 to the authorities to secure his release.

“They told me to slap myself and, when I refused, they started beating me with the side of their machetes and heavy sticks. My mouth was bleeding and my vision became blurred,” Oluchi said. 

Ugwu recalled a human rights manual that was reportedly launched by the Nigerian Police in 2014, which forbids torture of inmates by officers of the force.

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“With the Nigerian government’s previous attempts at stamping out torture proving completely ineffective, it is time for the authorities to ensure that officers responsible for such human rights violations are finally held accountable.

“There is also an urgent need for robust legislation that ensures all acts of torture are offences under Nigeria’s criminal law,” Ugwu added.

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