The Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, condemned the call for the scrapping of the unit, positing that not all personnel of SARS engaged in extra-judicial activities while reacting to a motion moved by Senator Oluremi Tinubu.
Despite public uproar and condemnation, the Nigerian Senate has kicked against the scrapping of the dreaded Special Anti-Robbery Squad, a unit of the Nigeria Police Force.
The Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, condemned the call for the scrapping of the unit, positing that not all personnel of SARS engaged in extra-judicial activities while reacting to a motion moved by Senator Oluremi Tinubu.
Tinubu had called on the attention of the Senate to the growing outrage from Nigerians regarding the nefarious activities and profiling of Nigerians by SARS personnel.
She stated that SARS operatives harass, arrest and extort Nigerian youth unconstitutionally.
She also said the incessant killings of Nigerians by SARS personnel directly negates both local and international human rights charter Nigeria subscribes to.
Commenting on the motion, Lawan said scrapping SARS was not the right way to cleanse the unit.
He said, “Scrapping the SARS now may not be the best option because the nation may lose the best hands in the agency while trying to do away with the bad eggs among them.
“Scrapping of agencies when you have mistakes may not be the best position.
“If you scrap SARS, you lose the chance of getting those doing well to continue.”
The Senate, however, resolved to probe the extra-judicial arrest and killings of Nigerians by SARS operatives.
Lawan mandated the House Committee on Police, Judiciary and Human Rights to begin the probe of human rights abuses of Nigerians by SARS.
“Offenders must be arrested and prosecuted to serve as a deterrent to others,” he said.