File: SARS Commanders at a meeting with IGP

A former Commissioner of Police, Mr Lawrence Alobi, on Sunday in Abuja, called for a robust capacity building on democratic policing for men of the Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS).

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that then Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, on Aug. 14, directed the immediate overhaul of the SARS.

The directive was sequel to complaints by Nigerians on the alleged human rights abuse by men of the SARS.

“I want to recommend strongly to the Police Management to organise a massive and robust capacity building training on democratic policing for men of SARS,” Alobi said.

He told NAN that the police unit also required training on human education and application of emotional intelligence in law enforcement and policing.

The former police officer said the type of government a country operates determines the style of policing.

“The security agencies and personnel of the police should imbibe democratic norms and values in line with international best practices.

“The SARS officers must be given rules of engagement and well funded to be able to face the challenging job they engage in to avoid being compromised,” he said.

He said the police was the most risky job in the country which required more incentives.

“The more the risk the more the incentive should be. When they are well funded the more they will perform,” he said.

He said the citizens also had a duty in the policing of the country, and that their roles should not be underplayed.

Alobi blamed human rights advocates in the country for emphasising only the rights of the citizens while neglecting their duties to the country.

He advised the citizens to be security conscious and to encourage security agencies to perform their duties.

Alobi noted that SARS was basically established to fight violent crimes like armed robbery and kidnapping and also to intervene when the need arises.

“The only important thing is for them to be supervised, given operational guidelines on what they should do and those they should not do,” he said.

NAN also reports that as part of the overhaul of the unit, SARS has been ordered not to attend to civil or commercial matters again, but attend strictly to Armed Robbery and Kidnapping cases.

JPE/IAA/SA

Edited by Isaac Aregbesola/Salif Atojoko

=============================