SARS operatives can no longer detain suspects —Lagos CP, Hakeem Odumosu says

TRACKING____The Commissioner for Police in Lagos State, Hakeem Odumosu, has said that operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad in the state no longer have the authority to unilaterally detain suspects.

Speaking on Channels TV on Tuesday morning October 6, Odumosu said the recent directive by the IGP banning some of the actions of SARS officers, will be more effective than earlier directives issued to curtail the excesses of SARS operatives.

He said henceforth, SARS officers will not go for an investigation without an express permission from his office or from the office of the Area commander where they intend to carry out an investigation. He also mentioned that henceforth, SARS officers can no longer detain anyone in their cells.

“It is going to be different because there will be more monitoring and more supervision. The additional directive I gave yesterday Monday October 5 is that they must not even go to investigate any case without booking their arrival at the Area Commander’s office so that the Area Commander will know that they are in that area doing what they ought to do. And once they finish, they must go back and file entry.

Secondly, I gave a directive that they must not detain anybody in their cells any longer. They can only detain at my office or at the Area Commander’s office. And the Area Commander must interview any suspect they want to detain and ascertain that the suspect had done what warranted being detained.

All these are additional measures put in to make sure that the supervision is effective. So, there is more supervision now and it going to be more effective now.”