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Men of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) have been prohibited from engaging in stop and search operations on the road except when necessary and they must not meddle in civil matters such as land disputes and debt collection.
Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, gave the order on Friday in Abuja at the Force Headquarters during his lecture with the commanders of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS).
The IG, who said in a statement after the lecture that the adjustments in SARS’ operations was in response to the agitation by some members of the public that the outfit should be scrapped, also announced that the Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIG) Operations will now lead SARS as the Strategic Commander.
According to him, the development also means SARS Operations are answerable to the DIG Operations through the Commisioner of Police (CP) FSARS and Commissioners of Police of the Commands.
Idris said psychometric test, training and continuous assessment of SARS operatives will also be carried out to determine the suitability or otherwise of the operatives’ role in “keeping with acceptable standard operating procedure.”
Listed among the activities SARS Operatives should not be caught engaging in are: “to act as body-guards, delving into land matters, personal disputes, debt collection and matters that are considered civil.”
SARS operatives should also operate in official uniform clearly marked for identification and their operations must be conducted in “a non-discriminatory, proportionary, fair and accountable manner,” added the statement.
The sole mandate of SARS is to “prevent, confront and solve cases related to armed robbery and generally protect the public from armed robbery and other violent crimes,” the IG affirmed.
It is recalled that the campaign to diband the anti-robbery outfit recently went viral on the social media with some campaigners physically demonstrating to have it scrapped following their ordeals with the operatives.
Idris, however, reiterated that the SARS is a child of circumstance occasioned by the devious activities of the men of the underworld in the heyday of the Anini/Osumbo era of darkness,with Its initial conception being 1991.
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