EndSARS: Buhari addresses protests

President Muhammadu Buhari has promised that the dissolution of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS) is only the beginning of extensive police reform in the country.

Nigerians have campaigned for years to have the unit scrapped after numerous well-documented incidents of abuse including harassment, extortion, torture, and extra-judicial murder.

The latest outrage that sparked over the past week led to widespread protests across many states in the country, the most publicly-charged demonstrations against the unit.

The Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, announced on Sunday, October 11, 2020 that SARS had been dissolved across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.

The announcement failed to appeal protesters who continued with demonstrations on Monday, demanding to hear directly from the president.

#EndSARS protesters are not satisfied with the efforts of the authorities on comprehensive police reform [Pulse] Pulse Nigeria

In a short video address posted online by the presidency on Monday afternoon, President Buhari said his government is committed to ensuring that the primary duty of the police and other law enforcement agencies remains the protection of lives and livelihood of Nigerians.

"We will also ensure that all those responsible for misconduct or wrongful deaths are brought to justice," he said.

The president also noted that a vast majority of police officers are hardworking and diligent, and that the few bad eggs should not be allowed to tarnish the reputation of the force.

According to the IGP's directive, all SARS officers are to be redeployed to other police commands, formations and units.

A new arrangement is to be made for tackling violent crimes, the primary role of the unit just disbanded.