By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Senate President Ahmad Lawan has expressed concern over the murder of Nigerians by the Special Armed Robbery Squad (SARS) and other security agencies and wants the prosecution of officers involved as well as reparation for victims.
“Scrapping of agencies might not be the right thing to do. The rule of law should be the guiding principle. If anyone does the wrong thing, they must be prepared to face the consequences,” Lawan stressed.
Protests have gone on for seven days across the country, led by youths and supported by celebrities home and abroad, over the brutality of the police, especially the SARS.
President Muhammadu Buhari has disbanded the SARS, and acceded to other requests made by the protesters. But they are asking for more, including a total overhaul of bad governance dating back to independence 60 years ago.
In Lagos on Wednesday, marchers – carrying banners and chanting slogans – still blocked conurbations, such as Berger bus station and Obafemi Awolowo Way, causing huge traffic tailbacks.
The protest were peaceful, and there were no policemen in sight.
Earlier in Abuja, Senate plenary had mandated its Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters Committee to investigate human rights abuses by security agencies.
Senators urged security agencies to establish hotlines to enable members of the public report abuses by their agents. And they demanded the establishment of a Special Bureau Unit to monitor officers, and arrest and charge erring ones.
The Upper Chamber also mandated its Police Affairs, and Judiciary and Human Rights Committees to investigate allegations of extrajudicial executions and make recommendations for reparation.
Nigeria, a laughing stock
Lawan sought immediate arrest and prosecution of SARS officers involved in extrajudicial killings, stressing that security personnel who kill innocent Nigerians must face the full weight of the law.
His words: “I think that this is a situation that should be properly investigated. The recent incident should not be swept under the carpet.
“Those involved in the recent incident should be arrested and prosecuted. There are good people in all the security agencies just as there are had people.
“Scrapping of agencies might not be the right thing to do. Rule of law should be the guiding principle. If anyone does the wrong thing, they must be prepared to face the consequences.
“Like some of us indicated, there are good elements in SARS, and they have been doing a wonderful job. If you scrap SARS for example, you lose the chance of getting those that are doing well to continue to do so.
“Anybody in SARS or any security agency that commits excesses should be prosecuted. The law should take its full course.
“It is not enough to dismiss them from service, what does the law say if he kills someone? This is not acceptable. In fact, it makes Nigeria like some of our colleagues have said, a laughing stock.
“We have the jurisdiction and constitutional mandate to review the laws governing the operations or establishment of these agencies.
“Those involved must be arrested and prosecuted, and Nigerians need to know what happens. It is not enough to suspend the activities of SARS.
“What happens to those that have killed innocent Nigerians? If someone is killed by the law that is understandable.
“But when someone who is supposed to protect Nigerians kills a Nigerian unduly, without any due course of process, he probably loses his life too. And that is what we expect to see happen.”
Police extortion
Sponsor of the motion, Senator Oluremi Tinubu (APC, Lagos Central), said Nigerians suffer brutality from security operatives even though the country signed on to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and Convention on the Rights of the Child, and the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment,
“Nigerian youth can no longer move freely for fear that they will be profiled and accused of being ‘yahoo boys’ or fraudsters, merely because they look good, own laptops, iPhones, nice looking cars; or profiled for having dreadlocks and certain hairstyles,” she added.
“Only recently, the global and social media was awash with the #EndSARS Campaign and stories of brutality of the men of the Special Anti-Robbery Response Squad.
“With more Nigerian youth being involved with software development, fintech and doing more remote jobs in ICT, profiling by policemen is a major problem.
“Despite assurances by the inspector-general of police (IGP) in 2015 and 2017 that there would be reform of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, Nigerians are daily still being abducted and extorted, under duress, with no mechanism in place for complaints and resolution of same.
“SARS operations have degenerated into intimidation, harassment and extortion of innocent Nigerians.”
Tinubu said Nigerians cannot report crime to the police without being made to part with cash or fearing that they will be detained for the same offence they report.
Violation of human rights
Senator Adamu Aliero (APC, Kebbi Central) said “what is currently going on is a violation of all conventional agreements that Nigeria has signed on fundamental human rights, and even a violation of our constitution.
“We should not allow this kind of thing to continue.
“Suffice to say that we cannot afford extrajudicial killings in a constitutional democracy we are operating today. It should be condemned and nobody should be killed without a just cause.
“Let us go through the judicial process, let the judiciary determine that a person has actually committed the offence and its beyond any reasonable doubt before a person can be killed.”
Guarantee of privacy
Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege (APC, Delta Central) noted that “we have a Constitution which guarantees the privacy of our citizens, if nothing else, at least protects them until there’s a warrant for their arrest before they can be searched.
“But now these people have become more like extortionists taking money from people by going into their phones, not because they want to provide law enforcement, but they are looking for ways to force these people to part with money.”
The Senate mandated its Police Affairs Committee organise to investigate implementation of the Nigeria Police Trust Fund Act 2019, and urged IGP Mohammed Adamu to restrict police interference in the daily activities of Nigerians.
