Northern Elders Back #EndSARS, Make Fresh Demand

The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) on Tuesday, backed the dissolution of the Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS) by the federal government led by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Naija News reports that that the Northern Elders commended the dissolution of SARS in a statement on Tuesday titled, “Northern Elders Forum on Developments Related to Policing Nigeria”, signed by the Forum’s Director, Publicity and Advocacy, Dr. Hakeem Baba Ahmed.

In the statement, the Northern Elders said that the energy deployed to remove SARS should also be directed to protect north from insecurity currently ravaging the region. The forum, therefore, called for similar action the nation’s security apparatus, particularly the Service Chiefs.

The statement reads as thus; “The Forum demands that the spirit deployed against SARS should be visited on policing and securing the North. We further demand a complete overhaul of our policing and security agencies, starting with the removal of Service Chiefs and the involvement of responsible opinion in initiatives that will address the manner the nation is designed to be policed and secured.

“We appeal to fellow Nigerians to show the highest levels of restraint and maturity in the manner we organize the defence of our rights. Under no circumstances should we encourage acts that increase our exposure to crime, lawlessness and insecurity.

“The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) has noted the decision of President Muhammadu Buhari to order the scrapping of the much-maligned Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS), and reorganization and investigations into excesses of the outfit.

“The Forum notes that this decision should be placed in the context of the huge demands that had been made for the President to address serious shortfalls in our policing and security institutions.”