Amnesty International has said that the Nigerian Justice system has failed to curb the excesses of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) police unit.
The rights agency made the assertion in reaction to the killing of a young man named Kolade Johnson, by an alleged member of SARS.
Amnesty International said that the Nigerian authorities must investigate the killing of the young man shot dead by the “notorious Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) police unit” while he was watching a televised football match in Lagos yesterday.
Kolade Johnson was reportedly shot accidentally by SARS officers who had been pursuing another man at the football viewing center.
Amnesty International said it has documented a pattern of grave human rights violations carried out by SARS since 2016.
“Kolade Johnson is the latest victim of the SARS police unit which has become notorious for extrajudicial killings, torture, and extortion,” said Osai Ojigho, Director of Amnesty International Nigeria.
“This appears to be an unlawful killing which must be impartially and thoroughly investigated, with any officers suspected of criminal responsibility for wrongdoing brought to justice in a fair trial before an ordinary civilian court.
It is shameful that more than two years since Amnesty International highlighted crimes under international law and human rights violations by SARS, these shocking incidents continue unabated.”
Reports suggest that Kolade Johnson was hit by a stray bullet when SARS officers tried to disperse a crowd during an operation to arrest another man.
There has been a public outcry over the killing, with thousands of people using the #EndSARS social media hashtag in the past 24 hours.
“Nigerians will no longer accept the brutality being unleashed against them by SARS on an almost daily basis,” said Osai Ojigho, Director of Amnesty International Nigeria.
“SARS is a police unit created to protect the people. Instead, it has become a danger to society, torturing its victims with complete impunity while fomenting a toxic climate of fear and corruption.”
Amnesty International said its investigations into the activities of SARS across Nigeria since 2016 have exposed the callous workings of a police squad operating outside of the law.
“The September 2016 report ‘Nigeria: You have signed your death warrant’ showed how the unit has been systematically torturing detainees as a means of extracting confessions and bribes.
“All subsequent government pledges to reform SARS, including one by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo in August last year, have amounted to nothing.
“In addition to its stated remit of tackling violent crime, in some cases, SARS investigates civil matters and has tortured detainees involved in contractual, business and even domestic disputes.
“Victims of SARS crimes are often legally powerless to defend themselves against criminal accusations and torture.
“Much more needs to be done to end human rights violations by SARS, including unnecessary and excessive use of force, extrajudicial killings, torture, arbitrary detention, and extortion. Wide-ranging reforms must be carried out so that Nigerians can trust the police to protect them,” said Osai Ojigho.
“Evidence of crimes and human rights violations committed by SARS is widely available, including in reports by Amnesty International, and this should aid effective investigation into crimes committed by the squad.”
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Below are some tweets by Amnesty International regarding the case of Kolade Johnson.
Once again SARS is in the news for alleged brutalization of Nigerians. We have several times called for #EndSARS
— Amnesty Int. Nigeria (@AmnestyNigeria) April 1, 2019
SARS is a police unit created to protect the people, instead it has become a danger to society, torturing its victims with complete impunity while fomenting a toxic climate of fear and corruption. #EndSARS @PoliceNG @MBuhari
— Amnesty Int. Nigeria (@AmnestyNigeria) April 1, 2019
Our research since 2016 uncovered a pattern of ruthless human rights violations by SARS, where victims are arrested and tortured until they either make a ‘confession’ or pay officers a bribe to be released. #EndSARS @PoliceNG @MBuhari
— Amnesty Int. Nigeria (@AmnestyNigeria) April 1, 2019
Apart from brutality, some police officers in SARS regularly demand bribes, steal and extort money from criminal suspects and their families. SARS officers are getting rich through their brutality. In Nigeria, it seems that torture is a lucrative business. #EndSARS @PoliceNG
— Amnesty Int. Nigeria (@AmnestyNigeria) April 1, 2019
Because of corruption SARS officers believe they have carte blanche to torture Nigerians. This is hardly surprising when many of these officers have bribed their way to SARS in the first place. The police chiefs in charge are themselves entwined in the corruption. #EndSARS
— Amnesty Int. Nigeria (@AmnestyNigeria) April 1, 2019
Apart from demanding bribes, SARS officers have been accused of stealing or confiscating property from relatives of detained suspects. Some family members told Amnesty International that SARS officers stole their cars or withdrew all the money from their bank accounts. #EndSARS
— Amnesty Int. Nigeria (@AmnestyNigeria) April 1, 2019
Despite repeated calls from Amnesty International in recent years, the Nigerian justice system has failed to prevent or punish torture. Despite @MBuhari signing into law the Anti-Torture Bill @PoliceNG torture Nigerians with impunity. #EndSARS
— Amnesty Int. Nigeria (@AmnestyNigeria) April 1, 2019
Police torture is a stain on Nigerian society that must be addressed with clear orders to law enforcement officers not to inflict torture or other ill-treatment on detainees under any circumstances. #EndSARS @MBuhari @PoliceNG @ProfOsinbajo @UN
— Amnesty Int. Nigeria (@AmnestyNigeria) April 1, 2019
Many attempts to reform SARS, including the one ordered by @ProfOsinbajo in August last year have been ineffective. Nigerians are still brutalized by SARS. Restructuring SARS is not enough unless the government takes concrete steps to protect Nigerians.@PoliceNG #EndSARS
— Amnesty Int. Nigeria (@AmnestyNigeria) April 1, 2019
Victims of SARS told Amnesty International that they had been subjected to horrific torture methods, including hanging, starvation, beatings, shootings and mock executions. SARS officers are notoriously corrupt & brutal.@MBuhari @ProfOsinbajo @PoliceNG_CRU @PoliceNG #EndSARS
— Amnesty Int. Nigeria (@AmnestyNigeria) April 1, 2019
Amnesty International found that in some cases where victims of police corruption & brutality attempted to seek justice, the police authorities took no action. @PoliceNG @ProfOsinbajo @PoliceNG_CRU @UN
— Amnesty Int. Nigeria (@AmnestyNigeria) April 1, 2019
In Nigeria @PoliceNG being posted to SARS is often regarded as a “juicy” posting and is preceded by intense lobbying by potential officers. Officers sometimes pay superior officers responsible for transfers as much as N300,000 to influence their posting to SARS. #EndSARS
— Amnesty Int. Nigeria (@AmnestyNigeria) April 1, 2019
Despite years of numerous petitions from Nigerian and international human rights organizations to the police authorities, there is no indication that any SARS officers have been punished specifically for torturing detainees or extrajudicial killings. @PoliceNG #EndSARS
— Amnesty Int. Nigeria (@AmnestyNigeria) April 1, 2019
The internal police mechanisms in Nigeria are weak. Police lacks an effective database on complaints and discipline management. The police complaint management system is generally inaccessible, ineffective, and does not enjoy the confidence of the public. #EndSARS
— Amnesty Int. Nigeria (@AmnestyNigeria) April 1, 2019
SARS officers routinely fail to bring suspects before a court within 24 to 48 hours as prescribed under the Constitution. Many are held for longer periods sometimes up to ten months. #EndPolicebrutality #ENDSARS
— Amnesty Int. Nigeria (@AmnestyNigeria) April 1, 2019
SARS often stole from suspects; “The officers forcefully broke into boxes, locked furniture and drawers. We were not allowed to witness the searching of the house. By the time they left, several items, including watches, jewellery and
shoes, were missing.” -a victim said— Amnesty Int. Nigeria (@AmnestyNigeria) April 1, 2019
In 2014 we issued a report “Welcome To Hell Fire” on torture by Nigeria’s security forces. In 2016 we issued a report “You Have Signed Your Death Warrant” on SARS. Both reports called on govt. to end police brutality. But nothing changed up to now. #EndPoliceBrutality #EndSARS
— Amnesty Int. Nigeria (@AmnestyNigeria) April 1, 2019
Policing in Nigeria is plagued by systemic problems ranging from poor training and equipment to endemic corruption and a lack of accountability. #EndSARS #EndPolicebrutality
— Amnesty Int. Nigeria (@AmnestyNigeria) April 1, 2019
Amnesty International found that torture is such a routine and systemic part of policing that many police sections in various states, including the SARS and CID, use designated ‘torture chambers’: special interrogation rooms commonly used for torturing suspects. #EndSARS #Nigeria
— Amnesty Int. Nigeria (@AmnestyNigeria) April 1, 2019
