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SARS ban: Nigeria abolishes loathed federal special police unit
Source: BBC
SARS ban: Nigeria abolishes loathed federal special police unit
11 October 2020
Nigeria has dissolved the special police force at the centre of protests against police brutality.
The government said a special presidential directive had ordered the immediate dissolution of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (Sars).
Protests against the squad were sparked by a video of a man allegedly being killed by police.
The demonstrations have intensified despite a crackdown and have spread outside the country.
What does the directive say?
All the officers in the Sars squad - widely accused of unlawful arrests, torture and murder - are to be redeployed, the presidency said, and a new arrangement to replace the squad is being worked on.
-snip-
11 October 2020
Nigeria has dissolved the special police force at the centre of protests against police brutality.
The government said a special presidential directive had ordered the immediate dissolution of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (Sars).
Protests against the squad were sparked by a video of a man allegedly being killed by police.
The demonstrations have intensified despite a crackdown and have spread outside the country.
What does the directive say?
All the officers in the Sars squad - widely accused of unlawful arrests, torture and murder - are to be redeployed, the presidency said, and a new arrangement to replace the squad is being worked on.
-snip-
Read more: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-54499497
______________________________________________________________________
Source: The Guardian
Nigeria to disband Sars police unit accused of killings and brutality
Announcement comes after growing protests, but critics say it does not go far enough
Emmanuel Akinwotu in Lagos
Sun 11 Oct 2020 18.44 BST
Nigeria’s government has dissolved an infamous police unit plagued with allegations of extrajudicial killings and abuse after days of protests against police brutality.
A wave of outrage had been fuelled over the last week by the emergence online of graphic footage and shared experiences of abuses by the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, commonly called Sars.
“EndSars” began as a largely online movement, trending internationally on social media and gaining the support of figures including the footballer Marcus Rashford and the actor John Boyega. Many of those marching in Lagos and cities across Nigeria have been in their 20s and 30s, protesting for the first time and spurred by personal experiences of or connections with abuses by the security forces.
“The Special Anti-Robbery Squad (Sars) of the Nigeria Police Force has been dissolved with immediate effect,” a statement by the office of the president, Muhammadu Buhari, said on Sunday.
-snip-
Announcement comes after growing protests, but critics say it does not go far enough
Emmanuel Akinwotu in Lagos
Sun 11 Oct 2020 18.44 BST
Nigeria’s government has dissolved an infamous police unit plagued with allegations of extrajudicial killings and abuse after days of protests against police brutality.
A wave of outrage had been fuelled over the last week by the emergence online of graphic footage and shared experiences of abuses by the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, commonly called Sars.
“EndSars” began as a largely online movement, trending internationally on social media and gaining the support of figures including the footballer Marcus Rashford and the actor John Boyega. Many of those marching in Lagos and cities across Nigeria have been in their 20s and 30s, protesting for the first time and spurred by personal experiences of or connections with abuses by the security forces.
“The Special Anti-Robbery Squad (Sars) of the Nigeria Police Force has been dissolved with immediate effect,” a statement by the office of the president, Muhammadu Buhari, said on Sunday.
-snip-
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/oct/11/nigeria-to-disband-sars-police-unit-accused-of-killings-and-brutality
