#EndSWAT: SARS Help Some States To Fight Insecurity – Northern Governors

The Northern Governors Forum has called for the reformation of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) in the country.

Speaking during a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday in Abuja, Chairman of the Forum and Plateau State Governor, Simon Lalong, said SARS operatives helped the northern region tackle insecurity in some states.

“As SARS is banned, we are now looking forward to an opinion because most of the states in the north said no,” he said.

“They want SARS because SARS help them. A lot of SARS people help them. Borno Said if not SARS, WE would not have been surviving today, Niger and almost all parts.

“If we are addressing it like that, what is going wrong in some places? Is it the process of recruitment? Is it the character of people?”

While noting that his colleagues in the region want the entire police architecture to be reformed, the governor said states like Borno and Niger have benefitted from the efforts of SARS operatives in fighting terrorism and banditry.

On Sunday, the IGP announced the disbandment of SARS following nationwide protests against police brutality by the unit.

Thousands of protesters across the country have been protesting for over a week against the harassment, extortion, and extrajudicial killings perpetrated by the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the Nigeria Police Force.

The police authorities in response to the outcry of the protesters disbanded the SARS unit and announced the setting up of the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) unit as its replacement but the protests and demonstrations continue nationwide with hashtags #EndSWAT, #EndSARS, #EndPoliceBrutality dominating social media trends.