Osinbajo applauds IGP’s decision on SARS, urges police to stick to their mandates

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has applauded the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu for banning the routine patrols of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS) and other Tactical Squads of the Nigeria Police Force.

Speaking to State House reporters at his residence in Abuja on Sunday, October 4, 2020, the VP described the routine attacks on young people as infuriating.

While condemning the actions of some officers he called bad “eggs of the Force”, Osinbajo asked the police to stick to their mandates.

He also commended Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) for speaking up against injustices meted out by some security operatives on young Nigerians.

from carrying out stop and search duties, checkpoints, mounting of roadblocks, traffic checks, etc with immediate effect.

While calling on every Nigerian to always bring the attention of the government to police officers unprofessional behaviours, Osinbajo said we all have to work together to ensure the police carry out their duty professionally.

The VP said, “I think that we all have to work together to ensure that the police and law enforcement agents, do what their duty is and their duty is to protect us, protect our society and livelihoods and homes.

“By the way, many of them are doing their duties excellently well, but there are some of them who are engaged in these activities. So, we must see this as something we all must work together to achieve, as individuals, to bring to the attention of the police and government, where there have been violations.

"And on the part of government and the police: to ensure that every one of those allegations is properly investigated and those found responsible are prosecuted and publicized so that people know that prosecution has taken place and this is the consequence. I am very confident that we will have a reformed police force and that process has already begun.”

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo. [Twitter@tolaniali] Pulse Nigeria

The VP also assured Nigerians that those SARS operatives involved violation of Nigerians' rights would be investigated, prosecuted and exposed.

Osinbajo’s remarks came shortly after IGP Adamu banned FSARS operatives and other Tactical Squads of the Force.

The police boss also banned the Tactical Squads from invading people’s privacy and checking their phones and laptops.

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The IGP announced this in a statement by the Force spokesman, Frank Mba, on Sunday following the call by Nigerians on government to scrap SARS as a unit of the Nigeria Police Force using #EndSARS.

The #EndSARS has been trending since Saturday, after an unconfirmed report stated that SARS officers killed a young Nigerian in Delta State and made away with his SUV.