Eniola Olayemi
The idea was premised upon the Operation Sweep, formed by former Lagos State Military Administrator, Colonel Buba Marwa around 1997. The same was also recreated in Ibadan, Oyo State under the name Operation Gbale.
Around 2009, SARS found its way into Nigerian Universities as a medium to repress the surge of internet fraud and cultism which had spilled to the streets. This era also coincided with the radicalism of style and fashion evolution amongst Nigerians under 35.
What SARS became was a national scourge that a witch-hunt machinery against Nigerian youth with dreadlocks, piercings, cars, expensive phones and risque means of expression. This led to the #EndSARS campaign, against the constant abuse of office by SARS operatives.
Daily, we hear terrible tales of exploitation of Nigerian youths by SARS operatives. These youths also give in because they don’t want to risk time behind bars. The Federal Government ignored Nigerian youths for a while before they finally gave in after years of clamour – at least, it looked like that.
On August 14, 2018, then acting president, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, in a statement issued by Osinbajo’s spokesperson, Laolu Akande, the Acting President ordered the IGP to shut down the unit “with immediate effect“.
The statement read, “Following persistent complaints and reports on the activities of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) that border on allegations of human rights violations, His Excellency, Professor Yemi Osinbajo SAN, Acting-President, Federal Republic of Nigeria, has directed the Inspector General of Police to, with immediate effect, overhaul the management and activities of SARS and ensure that any unit that will emerge from the process, will be intelligence-driven and restricted to the prevention and detection of armed robbery and kidnapping, and apprehension of offenders linked to the stated offences, and nothing more.
“The Acting President has also directed the IGP to ensure that all operatives in the emerging unit conduct their operations in strict adherence to the rule of law and with due regard to International Humanitarian Law and the constitutionally guaranteed rights of suspects. The operatives should also bear proper identification any time they are on duty.
“In the meantime, the Acting President has directed the National Human Rights Commission to set up a Committee that will conduct nation-wide investigation of the alleged unlawful activities of SARS in order to afford members of the general public the opportunity to present their grievances with a view to ensuring redress.”
Noting that the body could only be rehabilitated and not scrapped, the Vice President saw that SARS was rebranded under the FSARS name, to be handled by the office of the Inspector General of Police.
