Amnesty International demands prosecution of officers involved in extrajudicial killings, human rights abuse

As varied reactions trail the dissolution of Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS) by the Inspector General of Police, Mr Mohammed Adamu, the Amnesty International on Sunday demanded the immediate prosecution of officers involved in extrajudicial killings and other gross human rights abuse.

This was contained in a statement signed by the director of Amnesty International Nigeria, Mr Osai Ojigho, which was forwarded to Tribune Online.

The statement reads “today’s announcement by the IGP disbanding the infamous SARS falls short of demands for accountability and justice for abuses committed by the unit and the police in general.

“Disbanding SARS must be supported by addressing the underlying issues that allowed impunity to thrive. For a sustainable and long-lasting change, the police authorities must take the following steps:

“Immediate and unhindered access to SARS and other police detention centres by oversight bodies such as Police Service Commission, National Human Rights Commission, as well as lawyers and human rights defenders.

“Immediate investigation and prosecution of all police officers who have been accused of grave human rights violations such as extrajudicial killings/executions, torture, and other ill-treatment.

“A clear and concise timeline for the implementation of the reforms to end police atrocities is key to safeguarding trust between Nigerians and the authorities,” the statement added.

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