The Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, has banned the personnel of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS) and other Tactical Squads of the Force including the Special Tactical Squad, Intelligence Response Team, Anti-Cultism Squad and other Tactical Squads operating at the Federal, Zonal and Command levels from embarking on routine patrols.
This is contained in a statment issued by the Force Public Relations officer Frank Mba.
Mr Mba said the IGP’s directives came following findings by the leadership of the Force that a few personnel of the Tactical Squads unwittingly perpetrate all forms of illegality, contrary to the Standard Operating Procedure, Code of Conduct and Rules of Engagement establishing the squads.
The IGP warned officers against the invasion of the privacy of citizens particularly through indiscriminate and unauthorised search of mobile phones, laptops and other smart devices.
The Squads are also to ensure prompt arrest, investigation and prosecution of all erring police officers who violate these directives and other extant regulations of the Force.
Many Nigerians took to the social media to express their anger over the activities of men of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad of the Nigerian police, calling for the unit to be proscribed after a Twitter user posted that he recorded SARS officials shooting a young boy dead at Ughelli, Delta State in front a hotel. He added that the officers left him for dead on the roadside and drove away with the deceased Lexus jeep.
On Saturday, the #EndSars hashtag trended on Twitter for several hours, bringing back to the fore, calls for the proper handling of rogue, high-handed police officials.
The IGP has equally warned, that henceforth, the Commissioner of Police in charge of FSARS, Commissioners of Police in charge of State Commands and the FCT as well as their supervisory Zonal Assistant Inspectors General of Police, will be held liable for any misconduct within their Area of Responsibility (AOR).
