The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Ibrahim Idris, has directed the immediate overhaul of the Special Anti Robbery squad (SARS) in compliance with the Presidential directives.
The acting President, Yemi Osinbajo Tuesday ordered the overhaul of the SARS, several months after the I-G had ordered for the overhaul of the unit after several calls by Nigerians over alleged human rights violations against some of its officers.
A statement by the Force Spokesman, acting DCP Jimoh Moshood on Tuesday in Abuja, said a new commissioner of police has been appointed to head the unit.
“In the new arrangement, a new Commissioner of Police has been appointed as the overall head of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad nationwide.
Moshood said that the unit would now operate under the department of operations at the Force headquarters against the former Force Criminal Intelligence and Investigations Department (FCIID).
”The Commissioner of Police (FSARS) is answerable to the Inspector General of Police through the Deputy Inspector General of Police, Department of Operations,” he said.
He also said that in full compliance with the presidential directives, SARS would be intelligently driven and restricted to the prevention and detection of Armed Robbery and kidnapping.
The spokesman said that new commanders were being appointed for the Federal Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS) across the country to exist and operate in the State and Zonal Commands under the Commissioner of Police (F-SARS) at the Force Headquarters, Abuja.
“All commissioners of Police have been directed by the I-G to comply with this directive with immediate effect and warn their personnel not to pose as SARS operatives,”he said.
He said that the I-G’s X-Squad and Monitoring Unit have been mandated to go round the commands and Police Formations nationwide to ensure strict compliance with the presidential directives.
Moshood said that a new Standard Operational Guidelines and Procedures, and code of conduct for all FSARS personnel would be strictly enforced.
He said that henceforth, human rights desk officers for FSARS would be established in every state to take complaints from members of the public.
“Henceforth, FSARS personnel will not perform Stop and Search duties except on distress call to respond to armed robbery and kidnapping offences only,”he said.
The force will be transparent, cooperate, and work cordially with the National Human Right Commission on the special panel that will conduct an investigation of the alleged unlawful activities of FSARS,”he said.
He said that a committee of Senior Police officers, Technical Consultants, Human Rights/Civil Society organizations (CSOs) has been setup to review the activities of FSARS under the new arrangement.
“They are to pay unscheduled visits to FSARS formations across the country with particular attention to States with high complaints index, to assess facilities and situations in these States and submit report to the Inspector General of Police on regular basis,”he said.
He advised aggrieved members of the public with complaints of violation of their rights by SARS personnel in the country to report through any of the following channels for investigation and redress.
The channels are : DIG, Department of Operations: 08037025670, IGP X-SQUAD 0902 690 0729, 08078662130, 08174041000 – CALLS 0903 227 8905 – SMS0903 562 1377 – whatsapp Email: integrityxsquad@gmail.com.
Others are : IGP Monitoring Unit: igpmonotoringabj@yahoo.com, 08036242591 Commissioner of Police, FSARS: 08033476852, FORCE PUBLIC COMPLAINT BUREAU,07056792065 Calls/SMS/whatsapp, 08088450152 Calls/SMS/whatsapp