Lagos police commissioner threatens to arrest, dismiss erring SARS operatives

The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, has threatened to arrest, dismiss and prosecute any policeman attached to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) and other tactical squads for violating the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu’s restriction of their operations in the state.

In a statement issued by the command’s spokesman, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the police commissioner directed his monitoring team to comb the nooks and crannies of Lagos for any operative who engage in stop and search or any low-risk operation such as patrol in the state.

He also ordered the arrest of any operative found in mufti.

READ ALSO: FALLOUT OF #EndSARS: IGP bans FSARS operatives, Tactical squads from patrols

Odumosu charged Area Commanders and Divisional Police Officers in the state to discourage the use of commercial buses or unbranded vehicles for operations, except on surveillance or decoy assignments he specifically approved.

The statement read: “Any policeman who wants to embark on patrol, stop and search and checking of information must be in official police uniform with identification cards conspicuously hanging on his or her chest.

“Any Area Commander and Divisional Police Officer where police harassment, brutality or extortion occurs will be held accountable and shall accordingly be disciplined.”

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now