Nigerians
have resumed a social media drive aimed at forcing the Buhari administration to
take immediate steps to contain rising cases of brutality linked to the police
Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).
The
department has faced relentless allegations of wanton arrests, torture and
extortion of citizens for decades, but the menace was only being collectively
amplified on the Internet in recent months.
The latest
crusade began on Saturday and has jumped to number one on Nigerian Twitter
trends by Sunday morning. But there are concerns that it may end up futile like
the initial outcry launched in late November.
During that
push, hundreds of Nigerians narrated their ordeal during alleged encounters
with SARS personnel, whose primary focus should have been on curbing violent
crimes like armed robbery, vandalism and kidnapping.
But over six
months later, little appeared to have changed as grievous revelations of
alleged SARS ruthlessness surface on the Internet regularly.
The
unpleasant and sometimes fatal encounters with SARS operatives continue despite
initial appeal and institutional changes announced by Inspector-General Ibrahim
Idris. In a December 4 statement, Mr Idris said he had appointed a police
commissioner who would oversee the activities of the squad for better
coordination and accountability.
The
statement, signed by police spokesperson Jimoh Moshood, said Mr Idris also
ordered a sweeping investigation of all complaints raised against SARS
personnel across the country, especially those chronicled under the #EndSARS
hashtag at the time.
A few days
later as the #EndSARS campaign intensified, a citizen raised allegations of
extortion against Ajayi Okasanmi, the police spokesperson in Kwara State, to
further buttress alleged misconduct by officers. On December 7, Mr Idris
reportedly ordered an investigation of Mr Okasanmi, but nothing seemed to have
been done about the case because the official still remained on the job despite
the evidence presented by his accuser that he collected $2,000 and N155,000 in
bribes to hush up an alleged rape case.
Even though
Mr Idris reportedly banned SARS operatives from indiscriminate stop-and-search
duties, especially those targeted at young Nigerians, latest complaints online
indicate a possible disregard of that directive.
The officers
are still mounting roadblocks during which proportionately high number of young
men could be targeted for part downs, either while driving solo, with
passengers or even in commercial vehicles.
The latest
campaign appeared after a video surfaced online that appeared to show a man
shot dead in broad daylight by suspected SARS operatives in Ojota, Lagos. A man
in SARS T-shirt could be seen around the male victim, surrounded by a
tremblling crowed muttering that he was shot by SARS who allegedly saw him as
an Internet fraudster.
The police
later identified the officers involved and said they have been dismissed after
being found guilty in an orderly room procedure on Saturday, but added the
suspect was teargassed and not shot as widely reported. They also said the man
did not die but only collapsed because the gas worsened his asthmatic
condition.
On Saturday
night, Amnesty International Nigeria began using its Twitter handle to post
harrowing accounts of everyday Nigerians who said they have had a misfortune of
being held by SARS officers in recent weeks. The rights group concluded that
the atrocities continue because they have the support of the police at the
highest levels.
Earlier on
Saturday, Oby Ezekwesili complained about the worrisome dimension the conduct
of SARS has taken, calling on citizens to intensify their advocacy if they
truly desire an end to the menace.
How much
citizens are willing to take up the campaign outside the social media remains
unclear. A rally that was organised on December 11 in Lagos saw a very low
turnout.
Some
commentators have expressed skepticism about the chances of the campaign
gaining grounds against the police either online or offline. This, they say,
was because some Nigerians are in support of the squad and the Buhari
administration has refrained from publicly commenting on the matter.
Atiku
Abubakar was amongst the major opposition voices who cautioned the police
against SARS excesses and demanded unrestrained respect for human rights.
But
administration’s supporters and some security analysts are warning against the
closure of SARS as a police department. In Rivers State in December, chieftains
of the All Progressives Congress took to the streets in support of the squad,
seeing the nationwide campaign as politically-motivated at the time.
Also, a
former director at the State Security Service, Mike Ejiofor, said the security
situation in the country would worsen if SARS is shut. He advised the police to
investigate and punish errant officers, but strongly held that the department
is essential for curbing crimes.
Segun
Awosanya, a lead coordinator in the campaign to #EndSARS, said they are ramping
up their online activities as a precursor to a legislative action on the
matter. He held that the campaign had been on daily since December, but
acknowledge it lost traction for sometime.
“The latest
campaign is part of a lot of activities going on behind the scenes,” Mr
Awosanya said by telephone Sunday afternoon. “A public hearing is going to be
conducted by the parliament and you will see shocking revelations.”
The police once
said they were investigating Mr Awosanya for his alleged ties to politicians
whom they suspected were sponsoring his activities, but the campaigner
dismissed the threat as an attempt to distract him from his advocacy.
He said the
latest drive was not aimed at the police, which he said can no longer be
redeemed, but for the National Assembly to take up legislation that would
engender institutional reform of the police.
“The action
is not against the police. They have normalised the SARS as a cash cow for them
to raise money for their top officers,” Mr Awosanya said. “So you cannot be
expecting them to act in any way.”
“What we are
doing now is to get the Police Act to be amended after a thorough hearing by
lawmakers,” Mr Awosanya added. “We are creating awareness now for that
amendment to happen and we will mount pressure on the president to sign it into
law.”
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