#EndSARS: Beyond reforms, restructuring and bans//I totally support

Unfortunately, in late 2017, Nigerian human rights defenders and activists launched massive campaign tagged #EndSARS which was aimed at addressing widespread human rights violations, including extrajudicial executions, torture and other ill-treatment, rape and extortion by officers of the SARS. Similarly, reports by Amnesty International revealed that detainees in SARS custody have been subjected to a variety of torture, including hanging, mock execution, beating, punching and kicking, burning with cigarettes, waterboarding, near-asphyxiation with plastic bags, forcing detainees to assume stressful bodily positions and sexual violence.

In reaction to the public widespread outcry which gained international attention, Federal Government repeatedly reformed SARS. On August 14, 2018, Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo had ordered an immediate reform of SARS after a widespread public outcry against their conduct. He also directed the National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, to set up a judicial panel to investigate SARS alleged unlawful activities.

 

 Prior to the recent ban on SARS operations after another public outcry over the squad’s illegalities, the Nigeria Police Force had in December 2017, June 2018, January 2019 and in February this year, made related announcements of a ban of SARS and an immediate restructuring of the outfit so that rogue SARS officers would be prevented from violating citizen’s rights, extorting, torturing and extra-judicially executing innocent citizens. It is evident that restructuring SARS is not enough unless government also takes concrete steps to protect vulnerable Nigerians from police abuses. Needless to say, there is a critical need for the positive impacts of the professional, effective SARS operations in improving national security. As a matter of fact, some SARS operatives have been parts of several tactical and successful operations across the country. Some of these operations by good security agents, including some SARS operatives, were duly acknowledged and celebrated at the maiden Security and Emergency Management Awards, SAEMA 2019, an event which I initiated through Emergency Digest, a leading emergency and crisis news platform in sub-Sahara Africa. 

 

I, therefore, would not recommend a total ban of the police unit. I only urge the Federal Government and the Nigeria Police Force to adopt a different approach in ensuring accountability for violations. There is a need for an effective oversight mechanism to regulate the conduct of police officers with a view to bringing an end to human rights violations by SARS in the country. Overhauling SARS is long overdue. The far-reaching, immediate effect of the overhaul will translate into ending torture, unlawful detention, extortion, extrajudicial executions and other serious human rights violations that the officers had been accused of committing for years across the country. *Shittu, Manager of Emergency Digest and convener of the annual Security and Emergency Management Awards, SAEMA, wrote from Abuja. He can be reached via: oboloheritage@gmail.com

Team Ebirien Ephraim