• Orders them to wear police uniform
From Molly Kilete, Abuja
The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris, has barred personnel of the controversial Police Special Anti-Robbery Squad(SARS), from engaging in civil matters and conducting stop and search operations on the nation’s highways and roads.
Idris has also warned the operatives to stop delving into civil matters like land disputes, personal disputes, debt collection and all matters considered civil saying it is not their responsibility.
The IGP, who gave the warning during a meeting he held with commanders of the Police Anti-Robbery Squad, at the Force Headquarters, said henceforth, SARS operatives must appear in their official uniforms for easy identification and desist from acting as bodyguards to prominent Nigerians.
He said they can only conduct stop and search operation on roads only when necessary, adding that such operation must be only on the permission of Commissioner of SARS or Deputy Commissioners and Assistant Commissioners of Police in charge of operations in the commands they are answerable to.
The IGP, who said he was worried at recent clamor by Nigerians that the unit be scrapped and attendant opposite reactions by others, said henceforth, operation conducted by the operatives, must be non-discriminatory, proportionate, fair and in accountable manner.
The measures, he said, were as a result of the police administration’s demonstration of sensibilities to the yearnings and demands of modern policing.
Idris, who said he would no longer tolerate excesses by SARS operatives, said he has taken drastic measures to reform the unit with the appointment of the Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of operations to lead the unit as its strategic commander, appointment of a Commissioner of Police as a field Commander of all activities related to SARS and the direct supervision of SARS operations in each state Command under the Commissioner of Police in charge of the state through the Deputy Commissioners and Assistant Commissioners of Police in charge of operations among others.
He also said psychometric test, training and continuous assessment of operatives will be deployed to SARS to determine the suitability or otherwise of their role in keeping with acceptable standard operating procedures, adding that the unit would be confined to its established role of preventing, confronting and solving cases related to armed robbery and generally protect the public from armed robbery and other violent crimes.
According to him, “The Nigeria Police Force under my leadership, shall operate strictly guided by the human rights principles as enshrined under the United Nations Charter on human rights and other extant laws.
“In demonstration of good faith to the aspiration of the Nigerian populace, I have given mandate to the IGP’s Monitoring Units and ‘X’ Squad and other oversight units of the Force to monitor the activities of the SARS operatives, while in the same vain, citizens are encouraged to avail the police ways to improve SARS operations across the nation,” he added.