Now that the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) has been disbanded and members of the dreaded police unit redeployed to other units in the Nigerian Police force, does that mean the end of extra judicial killing and molestation of innocent Nigerians by our security operatives?
No.
The act of disbandment and redeployment is what I term as “old wine in a new bottle.”
Ayokunle stole goat in the marketplace. Ayokunle’s parents renamed him Bamidele. Does that change the single fact that the Ayokunle, turned Bamidele, is a thief? Your answer is as good as mine.
To prevent extra judicial killings by security operatives as encountered in recent times, certain steps are to be taken in order to make an effective reform in the pattern of their operation, of which the disbandment of SARS as done by the Inspector General of Police, is pertinent towards the actualization of this aim.
Next should be proper reorientation of the security operatives on the true nature of their duty which is to protect the citizens from criminal characters and external aggression and not to brutalize and maim them.
Disbandment will be a mere farce if our security men are not properly schooled on how to deal with civilians and handle civilian matters respectively.
Conclusively, it will serve a purpose of dissuasion should security operatives, who are found guilty of the nefarious act of snuffing out lives of innocent citizens through extra judicial killing, are brought before the law and punished accordingly.
We must put an end to security men’s impunity. A reform in the security sector will do it better.
– Adeyemi Babarinde Sunday
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