JUST IN: Northern Governors Reject Scrapping of SARS

Governors of the 19 northern states in Nigeria have opposed the disbandment of the infamous Special Anti-robbery Squad (SARS) unit of the Nigeria Police.

This was made known to State House correspondents by Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau State after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari.

The governor, who is the Chairman of the Northern Governors Forum, stated that SARS has been useful in the fight against insecurity in the region.

According to him, northern states do not believe in throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

He said: “SARS is not made up of bad elements alone as it also includes personnel who are doing their work diligently.”

Governor Lalong, however, called on the federal government to reform the unit to enable it to discharge its functions “optimally”.

Recall that Nigerians have taken to the streets to protest extrajudicial killings and brutality by the now-disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).

Following pressure from protesters the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Adamu, disbanded SARS and announced the formation of a new unit called Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) Team.

He also ordered former operatives of the disbanded SARS to submit themselves for psychological and medical examination at the Force HQ.

President Buhari in a video on social media had also stated that the scrapping of the unit was just a step ahead of a total reformation of the Nigeria Police.