Atiku hails disbandment of SARS

TRACKING___ Former Vice President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar, yesterday paid tribute to Nigerian youths for their resilience in exerting pressure on the police authorities to disband the Special Anti Robbery Squad, SARS, in response to public agitations to end abuses by that of the Nigerian Police Force.

In a statement signed by his media assistant, Paul Ibe, made available to newsmen Sunday evening, the former Vice President said:

“This was the right thing to do. A system that brutally eliminates our youths is not one to hold on to, and neither can we be proud of it. Now we can start on a clean sheet to envision an elite police unit and a comprehensive overhaul of the police and policing system that is people-focused”,

In his words, the will of the people is the bulwark of the democratic system and those in authority cannot ignore the will of the people without undermining democracy itself.

The Wazirin Adamawa however noted that redeploying the bad eggs in SARS to other units may not augur well as they are capable of polluting those units. According to him, the affected officers need to be properly screened and retrained to ensure that they do not come into their new assignments with the same mindset for which the disbanded unit was notorious for.

Atiku Abubakar proposed an independent judicial inquiry into the activities of SARS that will ensure justice for victims of extrajudicial killings and punishment for officers involved in such dastardly acts. He also suggested the opening of the dreaded SARS cells for scrutiny and stock taking of detainees.

He further noted that the dissolution of SARS “offers us an opportunity to envision a police and policing system that ensures the primacy of the interest of Nigerians,” adding that the envisaged comprehensive overhaul of the police should take into consideration the needs of regional, state and council components.

The Wazirin Adamawa congratulated Nigerian youths on achieving their resolve and reminded them that if they stay united, they can achieve much more. He enjoined them to be steadfast in ensuring good governance in an egalitarian society.

He commended the courage and patriotism of Nigerian youths that took to the streets and the social media to call for an end to the brutal abuses by SARS operatives.

He observed that “citizens who engaged in peaceful protests without molesting innocent people are heroes of our democracy.”

“I must commend the courage and tenacity of these youths for holding rogue elements in the police force accountable. Apathy in the face of abuses promotes impunity, and therefore these young men and women deserve our respect for championing the disbandment of SARS,” the former Vice President added.

He paid tribute to Jimoh Isiaq who was killed in Ogbomoso in the course of the #EndSARS protests and all those extra judicially killed over the years and expressed the hope that their sacrifices would not be in vain.