#EndSARS: Civil societies in Delta call for restructuring of police

The Federal Government has been called upon to restructure the Nigeria Police Force and put an end to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).

The call came from Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in Delta State on Monday during a peaceful rally in Warri to mark the World Human Rights Day.

They called on the Federal Government to restructure the entire Nigeria Police force for better performance.

The protesters, largely made up of youths, had converged at the Enerhen Junction, a boundary between Warri and Uvwie Local Government Area at about 11:00 a.m.

The protesters, who however did not obstruct vehicular movement and other commercial activities in the city, held placards with the inscriptions like: ” We are Nigerians, our rights no bi privilege, respect my right, end SARS, “I walk around with my laptop does not make me a Yahoo boy.

Other inscriptions included: “Dreadlocks, tattoos no be Yahoo boy, ” “End SARS now,” “reform Nigeria Police,” “SARS must respect human rights in Delta,” among others.

The leader of the protesters, Mr Kehinde Taiga, while speaking to journalists, said the brutality of the Nigeria Police, particularly SARS was becoming unbecoming in the country.

Taiga, who is the Chairman, Committee for the Defence of Human Right (CDHR), Delta State chapter, said restructuring the police was a better option to end the brutality.

“Police should operate within the ambit of the constitution, they should not be violating the rights of the citizens. The brutality of the police is becoming unbearable.

“We call on President Muhammadu Buhari and the  Insp-General of Police (IGP) to restructure the Nigeria Police and be given a guideline of operation.

“The fundamental human rights are there to be exercised by every citizen, so police should stop violating those rights, the fundamental rights of Nigerians should be respected, ” he averred.

Taiga also said that the activities of SARS should be controlled by the state commands rather than a Police Commissioner in Abuja.

Leaders of other groups including New Warri also decried the ungodly activities of SARS

Mr Collins Azuike, a Lead Partner of New Warri, said the group which comprises creative youths, move about with the cell phones and laptops, adding that they suffered a lot of harassments from the police in the course of doing so.

According to him, “there are few bad persons among us that are doing fraudulent things but a good percentage of us are trying to create a better Warri.

“We have our rights, that somebody is carrying dreadlocks does not make him or her a bad person; we want the police to join us to achieve this dream of New Warri where everyone’s right will be protected.”

Speaking in the same vein, Mr Igho Tietie, who’s the Convener of New Warri” said that there were laid down rules of engagement of the Nigeria Police which they flout outright.

He contended that: “That a young man is carrying a dreadlocks, tattoos, and dressing shabbily is not a yardstick to adjudge the persons as a criminal.

“The police brutality is getting too much when you try to protest for your right, they threaten to shoot you.”

Officers of the Police Force were seen keeping the alert against possible hijack of the protest by hoodlums just as the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Delta Command, Mr Andrew Aniamaka, could not be reached for reactions.