By Nwafor Sunday
Protesters, Thursday stormed Abuja Police Headquarters, demanding the presence of the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar Adamu.
Led by former presidential candidate, and founder of an online news agency Sahara Reporters, Omoleye Sowore, the protesters were carrying placards emblazoned with different inscriptions like #EdnSARSNow, WeDontNeedSARS etc and were raucously chanting.
With many Police officers barricading them from entering the headquarters, the protesters demanded for the presence of IGP Adamu.
They were calling President Muhammdu Buhari’s name, urging him to end SARS now.
Recall that Adamu had informed Nigerian youths that their voices and complaints on the issues of unprofessional conducts by some SARS operatives have been heard very loudly and clearly.
On that note he banned the personnel of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS) and other Tactical Squads of the Force including the Special Tactical Squad (STS), Intelligence Response Team (IRT), Anti-Cultism Squad and other Tactical Squads operating at the Federal, Zonal and Command levels, from carrying out routine patrols and other conventional low-risk duties – stop and search duties, checkpoints, mounting of roadblocks, traffic checks, etc – with immediate effect.
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His words: “No personnel of the Force is authorized to embark on patrols or tactical assignments in mufti. They must always appear in their police uniforms or approved tactical gear. The IGP’s directives come against the backdrop of findings by the leadership of the Force that a few personnel of the Tactical Squads hide under this guise to perpetrate all forms of illegality, contrary to the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), Code of Conduct and Rules of Engagement establishing the squads.
“Specifically, the IGP has warned the Tactical Squads against the invasion of the privacy of citizens particularly through indiscriminate and unauthorized search of mobile phones, laptops and other smart devices.
“They are to concentrate and respond only to cases of armed robbery, kidnapping and other violent crimes when the need arises.”
