How Twitter campaign, #EndSARS, forces Nigeria Police to re-organise its anti-robbery unit

shakirudeen taiwo

December 4, 2017 4:09 PM

Nigerians are now using the power of social media to get accountability from government officials and public agencies.

Nigeria’s Police Chief, IGP Ibrahim Idris, has ordered the immediate reorganization of the force’s Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) across the country. This is noted as a result of the #EndSARS campaign instigated on social media to expose the atrocities of the police unit.

According to a statement by the Police force on December 4, 2017, the IGP has order reorganisation of the unit citing public interest.

“...the Inspector General of Police, IGP Ibrahim K. Idris NPM, mni concerned with public interest and the need to reposition the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS)."

"The IGP has directed the immediate re-organization of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) nationwide and instant investigation into all the allegations."

Nigerians using the Twitter launched a campaigning calling for the Federal government to scrap the Police unit. As a result, #EndSARS continue to dominate Twitter Trends since Friday, December 1.

Also Read: Here are 4 reasons African leaders and political elites want social media dead in Africa

“The Nigeria Police Force has observed the recent trends of an event in the Social Media on the #ENDSARSNOW and the controversy being generated by the innuendos from the allegations and other misconceptions as it concerns the Operational roles and activities of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).”

This shows the campaign has achieved one of its goals, as the statement identified the campaign as one of the mains reasons for this action.

What Nigerians say about the old SARS

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How the new SARS will operate now

According to the new order, the unit will be headed by a commissioner of Police.

“In the new arrangement, a Commissioner of Police is now the overall head of the Federal Anti-Robbery Squad nationwide under the Department of Operations, Force Headquarters Abuja.”

The Police has hinted it will be commence community sensitization on the role of police, and ways the public could help in curbing the excess of some bad policeman.

shakirudeen taiwo

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