The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) on Monday, February 10, debunked rumours circulating that the defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) has returned with a reformed set of rules.
In a statement by its spokesperson, Muyiwa Adejobi, the police said SARS which was disbanded on October 11, 2020, “remains dissolved”.
The police’s statement reads:
“The Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) is not back in operation. The recent information regarding SARS reformation and rules of engagement should be treated with caution. Nigerians are encouraged to verify the source of any information before accepting it as true.
“To ensure receiving accurate and reliable updates, citizens are advised to follow the official handles of the Nigeria Police Force on social media viz @PoliceNG on X, @ngpolice on Facebook, and @nigeriapoliceforce on Instagram. Your safety and awareness are paramount; stay informed and vigilant.”
How SARS was ended
In October 2020, an outpouring of support for Nigerian protesters played out on X (formerly known as Twitter), with various hashtags, but predominantly #EndSARS.
Accusations of SARS officers robbing, attacking, and even killing people go back years but the wave of protest in October 2020 led to the end of the alleged ‘rogue’ unit.
A few social media influencers and activists took up the cause at the time, but the movement was leaderless.
During the dayslong protest, the #EndSARS hashtag trended worldwide with about 3.3 million tweets and roughly 744,000 retweets. Global superstars joined the trend and expressed solidarity with the protesters who are largely youths disgruntled with alleged failures by successive governments.
‘Policeman’ shoots FRSC personnel in Lagos
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that a man in a police uniform reportedly shot and wounded a yet-to-identified official of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Lagos state.
The incident happened while officials of the Lagos sector command of the FRSC were on an enforcement drive to implement the nationwide launch of the agency’s operation to combat the menace of fake number plates.
