NHRC applauds IGP over ban on SARS operations

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has commended the courage and display of mark of a listening Government through the disbandment of Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) by the Federal Government.

This followed an announcement yesterday by the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu.

A statement by the Executive Secretary of the Commission, Tony Ojukwu, said the NHRC has been monitoring reports from individual victims and the media with respect to human rights violation of innocent members of the public by SARS’ operatives as well as other police units across the country in- line with its mandate of promoting, protecting and enforcing human rights in Nigeria.

Ojukwu said, the right to protest is a constitutionally protected right as long as it is carried out responsibly and without resulting in the violation of the rights of any member of the public including law enforcement personnel.

He said: “With the initial and right step to disband SARS by the IGP as part of the recommendations of the Presidential Panel, the stage is now set to implement the other recommendations of the panel and in this regard, the government had requested the Commission to constitute a broad-based implementation committee inclusive of relevant government agencies and civil society organisations to ensure the transparent, comprehensive and accountable implementation of the white paper on the presidential panel report.”

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The Commission assured Nigerians that the Federal Government is wholly committed to protecting the human rights of all Nigerians in accordance with the 1999 Constitution as amended, Nigeria’s international human rights obligations and respect for the rule of law.

He said law enforcement must be carried out bearing in mind constitutional guarantees of human rights, in particular respect for the life and dignity of the human person and with the utmost professionalism.

“Consequently the SARS/police officers tarnishing the image of government and the police force should be made to be accountable,” the NHRC boss stated

He said the Commission is wholly committed to working with all stakeholders, state and non-state actors to raise the bar of human rights protection, and enforcement in the country and urged Nigerians, including protesters, to be more vigilant, law-abiding and give the ongoing process a chance to resolve all the current issues that have been canvased by Nigerians and to report any form of human rights violations or reprisals to the Commission through its various channels.

NHRC applauds IGP over ban on SARS operations

[BREAKING] #EndSARS: IGP Disbands SARS Across The 36 States

In the finest spirit of democracy and response to the people’s yearnings, the Inspector-General of Police Mohammed Adamu has today, 11th October, 2020, dissolved the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) across the 36 State Police Commands and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) where they hitherto existed.

NHRC applauds IGP over ban on SARS operations