Matilda Omonaiye/
Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) officers have been stripped of their powers to detain suspects in their cells, says the Lagos State commissioner of police (CP), Hakeem Odumosu.
According to Odumosu, when suspects are arrested by SARS officers henceforth, they must be handed over to Area Commanders or sent to the state command headquarters in Ikeja where the fate of the suspects would be decided.
Fielding questions today on Channels TV programme, Sunrise Daily, Odumosu said, “I’ve handed the IGP’s directives to every one of them. We warn them that in compliance with the directives, all Area Commanders will be the ones to monitor their areas. There’s going to be more monitoring and more supervision.
“…Additional directives were given that they must not go, even to investigate, without booking their arrival in the Area Commander’s office, so that the Area Commander will know they are in the area, and once they finish their work, they must go back and sign entry.
“I gave a directive that they must not detain anybody in their cell any longer. They can only detain at my office or at the Area Commander’s office. Before now, they have their various cells attached to each segment. They must not detain any longer. Area Commander must interview any suspect they want to detain and ascertain that the person actually committed an offence that warrants being detained. All these are additional measures that we put in to make sure that the supervision is effective.”
Asked if the special squads and tactical teams are still existing, Odumosu said, “They are still operational, but they must be in their operational uniform.”
He added that SARS, Anti-Cultism, and all other tactical teams had signed undertaken and must only go out in pursuit of criminals in that aspect when they are investigating.
Meanwhile, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Mohammed Adamu reaffirmed yesterday that his commitment to the ongoing reforms in the Nigeria Police Force especially as it concerns the activities of the Federal Anti-robbery Squad (FSARS) and other Special Tactical Units of the Force.
The IGP made this known while receiving the Minister of Youth and Sports, Mr. Sunday Dare in his office at the Force Headquarters, Louis Edet House, Abuja.
According to a statement from the Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), DCP Frank Mba, the “IGP called on the citizens to exercise patience as the reforms in FSARS et.al are still in progress, noting that all the already announced measures aimed at checkmating a future occurrence of extra-judicial activities by some personnel of FSARS and other Tactical Units of the Force will be followed to the letter. He reiterates that some of the officers who have been found to be unruly and unprofessional in their dealings with the citizens, particularly the youth, have been arrested and are already facing disciplinary actions.”
Mba stated: “In his remarks, the Honourable Minister of Youth and Sports, Mr. Sunday Dare commended the IGP for his prompt response in tackling the issues and called for stronger collaboration and mutual understanding between the Police and the youth. He also called for regular town hall meetings at various State Commands which will involve the Police Spokespersons, Civil Society Organisations (CSO) and other critical stakeholders to strengthen the synergy between the police and the citizens, especially the youth.
“The IGP, while concurring with the Hon. Minister on the necessity for Town Hall meetings, a practice which he identified as a feature of community policing, reaffirmed the readiness of the Police, under his watch, to work with relevant stakeholders towards enhancing respect for the rights of the citizens and better bonding between the Police and the community at all times.”
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