The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Special Anti- Robbery Squad (SARS)

  • Kidnapped expatriate in A’Ibom regains freedom after 17 days

    Mr Gasser Nasser, an expatriate worker with the Zenith Construction Company, Mbiaya, in Uruan Local Government Area (LGA) of Akwa Ibom has been rescued from kidnappers.

    Nasser was rescued by officers of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the state police command.

    Police Public Relations’ Officer,  SP Odiko Macdon, disclosed this while briefing newsmen at the command’s headquarters in Uyo on Friday.

    Macdon said three suspect kidnappers who attempted to escape during the rescued operation were gunned down by the police.

    “On May 17, Special Anti Robbery Squad operatives of the command, rescued a foreign national, one Gasser Nasser.

    “A staff of the Zenith Construction company, Mbiaya, Uruan, who was abducted on Tuesday, April 30, by hoodlums who shot and killed one Sgt. Kabir Mohammed of 26 Mobile Police Force, but attached to zone 6 for special duty,  and carted away his AK-47 riffle.

    Read Also: A’Ibom villages threaten to shutdown substations

    “The hoodlums responsible for the kidnap have been involved in high profile kidnapping and murder cases in the state over the years.

    “This include the kidnapping of retired Gen. Edet Akpan,  the killing of his Royal Highness, Robert Obot, the Paramount Ruler of Nsit Ubuim, the killing of Dr Udosen of St. Lukes Hospital, Anua among others.

    “The suspects were also involved in a lot of robberies around Uyo and Calabar, and three suspects who were attempting to escape during the rescue operation were gunned down,” Macdon said.

    Narrating his ordeal, the rescued expatriate, Nasser said he was inside his car in Uruan LGA when a vehicle with registration number UKW 707 pulled up in front of his car that faithful day.

    According to him, three young men alighted from the vehicle and started shooting directly into his vehicle

    He said that police sergeant attached to him was shot dead and he was dragged into the waiting vehicle and later taken away to an unknown destination.

    “I thought they were ordinary people until one of them shot inside our vehicle and killed the police man  who was with me.

    “They later dragged me into their own car and sped off into the bush, I was there till today when the Nigeria police came to rescue me. I ate banana and bread for 17 days, ” he said.

    NAN

  • Three jailed for 40-years each over illegal possession of arms

    Three men were on Wednesday sentenced to 40 years imprisonment each in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital for illegal possession of arms.

    They are Femi Olasupo, Musbau Oloyede and Ahmed Akinsanya.

    They were jailed by an Oyo State High Court after they were found guilty of a two-count charge of conspiracy and illegal possession of firearms.

    The accused were arrested by men of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) in 2011 following a report by Olasupo’s neighbours that he had no source of livelihood and was harbouring some people of questionable character who were terrorizing residents of Iwo Road area of the city.

    In the suit marked I/1786/2012, Olasupo was in March 2011 arrested and upon investigation, he led the security agents to an uncompleted building behind Mr Bigg’s eatery at Iwo Road, Ibadan, where four double barrel guns were recovered.

    His arrest led to the arrest of Musbau in whose possession some illegal firearms were also recovered at another uncompleted building around the area. When the third accused person was arrested, however, no arms were recovered from him but evidence from the prosecution witnesses revealed to the court that the trio had earlier been jailed together at the Ilesa, Osun State Prison from where they were released around the same time. They thereafter formed a gang operating around Iwo Road, Ibadan.

    The accused made confessional statements, though they alleged torture by men of SARS in their defence evidence, adding that they were also forced to sign their statements.

    Read Also: Friends in court for gang raping 21-yr-old woman

    Argument by their counsel, Oluwole Olukole, that the accused persons were not arrested at any crime scene, and that no forensic test was conducted on the firearms to link the accused persons could not sway Justice Adegboye Gbolagunte Feom jailing them.

    After the trial-within-trial conducted to establish the accused persons’ culpability in the crime, the court found them guilty based on circumstantial evidence led by the prosecution. The Judge found them guilty of conspiracy to commit armed robbery, as well as illegal possession of firearms recovered from them which corroborated the allegation of illegal possession contrary to the Robbery and Firearms (Special Provisions) Act, Laws of the Federation.

    As part of his decision, the Judge said: “In my view, the recovery of firearms in possession of the accused persons is sufficient to justify their guilt. It was my decision after the trial-within-trial that the accused persons fell guilty of conspiracy. They were jailed together at Ilesa Prison and released at about the same time. Count 1 is well founded and sustained in this case.  I therefore hold that the accused persons are guilty of the offences as charged.”

    In his judgment, Gbolagunte relied on Section 2(3) and 6(b) of the Robbery and Firearms (Special Provisions) and accordingly sentenced the three accused persons to “20 years on count 1 of conspiracy, and 20 years on count 2 of illegal possession of firearms.” The sentences are to run concurrently with the time they have spent in custody after the arrest deducted from the sentence.

  • SARS operatives held for ‘extorting’ money from suspect’s mum

    The police have arrested some operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) for alleged illegally arrest, torture and extortion of money.

    They were said to have arrested and tortured a man, Emmanuel Adegbite and extorted N434,000 from his mother.

    The Nation learnt yesterday that the SARS operatives stormed Royal Crown Hotel, at Asolo, Ikorodu, Lagos on Tuesday and arrested some people.

    It was gathered that Adegbite, who was playing snooker was among those nabbed and taken to SARS base at Ijede.

    The operatives allegedly tortured them for hours at gunpoint and only stopped when Adegbite’s mother transferred N434,000 into an account provided by the officers.

    The woman, it was alleged, also paid the operatives another N30,000 for her son’s release. The total amount they allegedly collected was N464,000.

    The Nation learnt that the woman made the transfer from her Access Bank account to a Pagatech account number 3756479401.

    This information, which was shared on a group chat, attracted condemnation, with participants demanding that the culprits be arrested and the woman’s money refunded.

    Confirming the operatives’ arrest, Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) Zone II Command Lawal Shehu said the parties were expected at the zonal headquarters in Onikan today.

    He said: “As you said, it is an allegation. But we have already detained members of the team involved. The policemen, whose pictures were published, are in custody. Investigation is on. I am awaiting the parties to come tomorrow (today). We will get to the root of the matter.”

     

  • Presidential panel deplores use of torture in suspects’ interrogation

    Members of the Presidential Panel on the Reform of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the Nigeria Police has deplored the continued use of torture as a tool of interrogation by security agents in the country.

    The panel, led by Tony Ojukwu, the Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), expressed this opinion shortly after its on-the-spot visit to SARS’ main detention centre in Guzampe, Abuja on January 18 this year.

    Speaking on the panel’s findings, Ojukwu said members of the panel encountered detainees with scares and serious injuries, “which they (the detainees) made us understand were as a result of torture.”

    He said, in view of this finding, the panel has summoned the investigation police officers (IPOs) handling cases involving suspects with such injuries, and some other senior supervising police officers to appear at its on-going sitting in Abuja.

    Ojukwu called for the adoption of intelligence-led policing and scientific investigation methods as against the reliance on torture by investigator. He argued that the deployment of force by the police and other investigating agencies always result in the destruction of vital clues and intelligence that would have aided in crime prevention and detection.

    He said the condition of facilities in the detention centre requires urgent improvement, because not only are the facilities inadequate, detainees were kept in over-crowded and smelly cells, with inadequate access to food, medicine and healthcare.

    Ojukwu added: “We found that some of them are sick and have not been taken to hospital. We were told that nurses visit them on a daily basis. But, some of them (detainees) complained that they pay for the drugs that they need to get well. It is important that the medical facilities here are kept up to date so that we don’t have cases of death in detention.”

    Ojukwu, who said his panel also found that minors and policemen were also detained in the facility with adult criminal suspects, faulted the practice were erring policemen, trained to apprehend criminals, were detained in the same cell with such criminal suspects.

    He suggested the practice where minors and erring security personnel were kept in separate facilities to prevent the many unintended consequences that often result from such cases.

    Ojukwu identified practices like the involvement of SARS in cases of minor offences, indiscriminate arrest and detention, and the delay in the criminal justice system as factors responsible for the over-crowing of detention facilities.

    He said his panel also found that some of the detainees have not been taken to court for over a year.  

    Ojukwu urged police authorities and the Judiciary to work on ways to decongest such detention facilities, including ensuring that detainees were allowed prompt access to court to enable them establish their innocence or guilt within the time provided by the Constitution.

  • Police dismiss Sergeant for killing 20-year-old undergraduate

    The Bayelsa Police Command on Wednesday said it has dismissed a Police Sergeant who shot and killed a 20 year-old undergraduate, Tariela Nikadae, on Nov. 23.

    Asinim Butswat, Spokesman of the Command, who told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Yenagoa, added that the sergeant would soon be arraigned in court.

    The incident happened during a police raid and detention of residents by the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the Command.

    The detained residents were later screened and freed by the Police following intervention of their relatives.

    “The Bayelsa State Police Command regrets the unfortunate incident involving a Police Officer and a resident of Tenacious Road, Edepie, Yenagoa.

    “Sergeant Timadi Emmanuel attached to a patrol team of Akenfa Division, while on patrol at Tenacious Road, Edepie, under questionable circumstances shot one Tariela Nikade, male, aged 20.

    “The Policeman has been dismissed after preliminary investigations into the incident and he will be prosecuted as soon as investigations are concluded,” Butswat said.

    Read Also: Police recover N.3m from kidnappers

    Meanwhile, residents have continued to lament the harassment and assault of members of the public.

    Several victims of the arrest told NAN that the policemen did not screen them or listen to their explanations before the arrest and detention.

    Mr Prosper Jacobs, who was arrested alongside many others on Thursday night, said that he was assaulted and bruised for pleading.

    “The team just packed their van on our street at Ebis Mechanic Road, Amarata. When they wanted to force me into their van, I insisted on knowing what my offence was and they assaulted me and left me afterwards with injuries.

    “Many others were then taken away in the van and detained overnight; their relatives have to intervene before they were freed,” Jacobs said.

    Another victim, Michael Gibson, a civil servant said that he was arrested when he went to buy recharge cards in Amarata area of Yenagoa.

    “They never cared to listen to any explanations, I told them that I am a teacher and they could verify my claim from my neighbours, but they took me and others and locked us up,” he said.

  • How to stop SARS’ brutality, by Falana

    Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana SAN, has suggested ways to curb the excesses of police unit, the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).

    Falana warned that the ongoing re-organisation of the SARS will fail unless citizens are mobilized and empowered by the government, the Nigerian Bar Association and human rights community to enforce their rights.

    He recommended the prosecution of indicted SARS operatives, amendment of the Sheriff and Civil Process Act, greater use of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015 among others.

    He noted that the ACJA, in particular, if implemented, “can put an end to the atrocities of the SARS and other law enforcement agencies.”

    The lawyer made the recommendations in a paper titled ‘How citizens can curb the excesses of SARS’.

    On August 14, Acting President Yemi Osinbajo directed the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Ibrahim Idris to review the SARS’ operations.

    According to a statement signed by his spokesperson, Laolu Akande, the decision was sequel to complaints and reports on the activities of the SARS.

    Falana commended the Acting President for the directive, but urged the police to ensure that all indicted police officers are prosecuted and made to pay part of the damages awarded by the courts to victims of police brutality.

    He also commended the organisers of the #ENDSARS campaign “for forcing the Inspector-General of Police to embark on the reform of the SARS.”

    He said: “This must be complimented by the determination of the federal and state Attorneys-General to give fiat to victims of police brutality to enforce judgment debts awarded by the courts against the Nigeria Police Force.

    “Furthermore, members of the armed forces should be removed from the SARS since it is the constitutional responsibility of the police to maintain law and order in a democratic society.

    Read Also: Resign now, Falana tells Saraki, others

    “At the same time, the police personnel in the reconstituted SARS should be well trained, well-motivated and well equipped to deal with dangerous crimes in the society. In addition, the teaching of basic human rights ought to be made compulsory in the police academy and similar institutions.”

    The lawyer noted that it was the duty of state governments which fund the operations of the SARS is to monitor its activities and prevent it from violating the rights of the people in each state of the Federation.

    He also demanded that the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and the Office of the Public Defender (OPD) in each state should ensure that the excesses of law enforcement agencies are curbed.

    According to him, the Nigerian Bar Association and the human rights community should embark on mass enlightenment of the Nigerian with respect to the fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution. They should also educate citizens on their basic rights under the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015 and Anti Torture Act, 2017.”

    Falana noted that in 2014, he received many complaints pertaining to alleged disappearances of scores of armed robbery suspects in police custody.

    He said: “In the course of investigating the complaints our law firm found that not less than 532 armed robbery and kidnap suspects were arrested, detained and paraded at crowded press conferences addressed by police commissioners in all the states of the federation. To my utter dismay, majority of the suspects were illegally executed by the operatives of the SARS!”

    He advised the relations and friends of any suspect killed in police custody to press charges against the culprits.

    “Where the identity of the culprits is not disclosed an inquest should be conducted to identify them with a view to prosecuting them. The government should also be made to pay compensation to the family members of suspects who are killed illegally in police custody,” Falana added.

    He called on the National Assembly to repeal Section 84 of the Sheriff and Civil Process Act which provides that a judgment creditor cannot garnishee the accounts of a public institution without seeking and obtaining the fiat of Attorneys-General.”

  • SARS overhaul: Group makes case for detainees

    …Hails Osinbajo

     

    A human rights group, Citizens Unite for Rehabilitation of Errants (CURE-Nigeria) has tasked the Nigeria police force to declare the number of detainees being held by the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) to the public.

    The group which hailed the Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, for directing the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Idris to overhaul SARS, also demanded that all detainees and awaiting trials in the police cells and prisons across the country be charged to court to seek justice.

    Read Also:IGP collapses SARS teams, renames unit FSARS

    CURE-Nigeria passionately appealed to the Federal Government to ensure that police carry out the action.

    In a statement made available to The Nation,  the organization’s Executive Director, Mr. Sylvester Uhaa, noted that the Acting President’s  directive, “although belated, is a welcome development and a right step in the reformation of the Police,” adding that,  “SARS has been identified with human rights violation and abuse of power, which has overshadowed its good work.”

    Uhaa, however, pointed out that, “Although SARS has contributed tremendously to the fight against violent crimes and criminality, and to the maintenance of law and order, it has operated largely outside the law, earning a bad name for itself, the Nigeria Police Force, and Nigeria at large.

    “The operations of any law enforcement must be guided by the law that created it, not by lawlessness, arbitrariness and disregard for human rights, which has guided SARS operations since its creation. And we cannot allow this to continue.

    “But, we ask the Federal Government  to take a step further to direct SARS to charge all suspects in their detention camps to court so that suspects can have access to justice and fair trial and this may lead to some gaining freedom, as some of the suspects may be innocent of the alleged offences.”

    He further stated that,  “in addition, the Federal Government should direct the IGP and all detaining authorities to declare the number of people in their detention so that Nigeria will know the number of people in their detention facilities.

    “For now, we only know the number of people in prison, and this is not right. Suspects in police cells are left at the mercy of their captors and jailers, some of whom treat them like animals.

    “Finally, we demand that the current administration make use of the recommendations made by Federal Government Committees on prison congestion in the past to decongest the prisons.

    “The continued detention of people without trial for years in our police cells and prisons violates the basic fundamental human rights to fair trial, equality of all human beings under the law and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and international human rights law.”

  • 28 ministers in attendance as Osinbajo presides over FEC 

    Twenty eight ministers on Wednesday attended the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided by Acting President Yemi Osinbajo.

    The ministers were those present in the Council Chamber when Osinbajo called for rendition of the National anthem by 11a.m.

    Read Also:Obasanjo, defections can’t stop Buhari – Tinubu

    The Minister of State for Education, Prof. Anthony Anwukah said the Christian opening prayer, while the Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu offered the Muslim prayer.

    The turn out on Wednesday was unprecedented compared to the past FEC meetings chaired by Osinbajo at Vice President or Acting President.

    Osinbajo had last week Tuesday terminated the appointment of the immediate past Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Lawal Daura.

    On Tuesday, Osinbajo also ordered immediate overhaul of Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).

  • Police vow to arrest killers of ex-Gov. Oni’s aide

    The police in  Ekiti said on Monday that  they  would leave no stone unturned in their  efforts at tracking the killers  of Mr  Bunmi Ojo, a former Personal Assistant to former  Gov.  Segun Oni.

    The Police Public Relations Officer in the state,  DSP  Caleb Ikechukwu,  told journalists in Ado Ekiti that those responsible for the killing  would not escape justice.

    He said though no suspect had been arrested in connection with the murder of the All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain,  investigation had begun into the incident.

    The spokesman said  a team of detectives and the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) were now on the trail  of  the unidentified gunmen.

    He said the police would address a news conference as soon as ongoing investigation had been concluded.

    “We are determined to ensure that the killers are brought to justice. We are gathering tips and working on all possibilities to ensure that these evil doers are made to face the wrath of the law

    “We have sent our men to comb everywhere possible.

    “ Our men in plain clothes  are out to unravel the killers, they are combing every corner and those areas seen to be criminal hideouts are under the watchful eyes of our men.

    “  So, we are confident that the killers will be arrested soon,’’  Ikechukwu said.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the deceased was the  commissioner  representing Ekiti at the Federal Character Commission before he was  killed  at a popular viewing centre located in Adebayo area of Ado Ekiti on  Friday night.

    His remains  would be buried on Friday  after a funeral service.

    Oni had already  paid a condolence visit to  Ojo’s private residence located at Federal Housing Area of Ado Ekiti.

    Meanwhile, a family member  has told newsmen that the assassins seized his three mobile phones before killing him.

    The family member, who pleaded anonymity, stated that the killers also collected his car key   which he said was later  returned after  the murder.

    “When they stormed the viewing centre, they shot into the air to disperse the viewers and they immediately seized Ojo’s mobile phones  and car key before shooting him.

    “But they later returned the car key after carrying out the act. What they wanted to do was  to cause distraction and make the murder look  like a robbery

    “We are appealing to the police to bring the perpetrators to justice. Mr  Bunmi Ojo’s death shouldn’t be swept under the carpet,”  he said.

  • NHRC to probe torture allegation against SARS

    …Seeks information from public

     

    The National Human Rights Commission has concluded plans for the probe of allegation of torture against men of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) in South South and South Eastern parts of the country.

    NHRC’s Executive Secretary, Anthony Ojukwu made this public on Tuesday while speaking at an event put in place by his agency, the Federal Ministry of Justice and the Human Rights Agenda Network (HRAN).

    Ojukwu said the planned probe was informed by increasingly complaints of torture against officials of SARS in those parts of the country.

    He said probe which will take the form of public hearing on SARS in the South South and South East geo-political zones, is “due to the endemic nature of Torture in the operations of SARS in those areas.

    “It is hoped that members of the public and the police authorities will assist the commission and cooperate to curb the practice of torture by SARS and other security agencies and hence reduce the incidence of torture in our polity.

    “In this regard, the commission wishes to commend the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces for signing into law the Anti~Torture Act of 2017.

    “The Commission also commends the Office of the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) for putting together the draft guidelines for the implementation of the new legislation.

    Read Also:El-Zakzaky: Shi’ite Members Protest at NHRC Headquarters over Police brutality

    “This is a clear statement on the part of the Federal Government of Nigeria to outlaw torture in our polity. It is therefore recommended to law enforcement agencies to take a cue from this message of the Federal Government on this day and stop all further acts of torture.

    “l also call on all Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) to participate robustly in the discussions around adopting the guidelines for the implementation of the Anti-Torture Act 2017.

    “The commission uses this opportunity to call attention to it earlier directive on respect for human rights, while carrying out law enforcement duties as torture cannot be justified under any circumstance,” he said.

    The Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami (SAN) assured that the Federal Government was committed to curbing torture in the country.

    Represented by the Solicitor General of the Federation (SGF), Dayo Apata, the AGF said his office has, in line with its powers under the Anti-Torture Act, has drafted the rules and regulation for the effective implementation of the Act.

    The AGF added: “This rules and regulations have been drafted in such a manner as to give a simple appreciation of the Act. Key provisions have been repeated and clarified.

    “These should be no doubt about the commitment of the administration in ensuring that acts of torture are identified and penalised wherever and whenever they occur,” the AGF said.

    The Chairman, National Committee Against Torture (NCAT), Samson Ameh (SAN) urged all security agencies to shun acts of torture and abide by the provisions of the Anti-Torture Act.