The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris, has given a marching order to all members of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) to wear police uniforms with full identification, pending the launch of new FSARS uniform.
Spokesman of the Police DCP Acting Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Jimoh Moshood, made this known in a statement on Friday in which he said that Idris gave the order at meeting with critical stakeholders.
According to Moshood, Idris was represented by the Deputy Inspector-General of police in Charge of Operations, Mr Habila Joshak.
He said the agenda of the meeting was convened to brief the stakeholders on the progress made so far in the overhaul of the SARS now known as Federal SARS.
[penci_blockquote style=”style-2″ align=”none” author=””]The Police boss said that the overhaul of SARS was beyond rhetoric as strategic reforms were being implemented.[/penci_blockquote]
The Police boss said that the overhaul of SARS was beyond rhetoric as strategic reforms were being implemented.
He said that the FSARS, operatives had been ordered to stop attending to civil or commercial matters but focus strictly on armed robbery and kidnapping cases only.
Moshood, said the Commissioner of Police in charge of FSARS, Mr Habiru Gwandu, informed the meeting that a human rights desk had been created in the 36 states of the federation and FCT.
He said that the desks would address cases of infractions against members of the public by FSARS personnel across the nation.
Gwandu added that the Police had engaged the services of psychologists and counsellors in the ongoing screening of FSARS operatives.
On his part, the DCP in charge of the I-G’s X-Squad, Amaechi Elumelu, said in the statement that the screening and mobilization of FSARS Operatives would not be business as usual again.
[penci_related_posts taxonomies=”undefined” title=”Online Related Posts” background=”” border=”” thumbright=”no” number=”4″ style=”grid” align=”none” displayby=”recent_posts” orderby=”random”]
He said that FSARS operatives would undergo through rigorous orientation including human rights training among other screening processes.
Elumelu said that the IGP would soon unveil the Custody Records Management System.
He explained that this system would contain the records of arrests, detentions and welfare details of suspects.
The commissioner assured that the system would discourage arbitrary arrest of people and ensure that suspects were charged to court within 24 hours, in compliance with the law.