“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere” Martin Luther King Jr.
Special Anti Robbery Squad was a unit under Nigeria police force, the unit is primarily saddled with the responsibility of fighting against violent crime and the used of obnoxious use of sophisticated weapons that crept into the country crime architecture in mid 80’s.
The criminal activities at that material time was beyond the capacity of most of the personnel of the force, criminal bandits had a nice time robbing banks, corporate organizations and big malls without any strong resistance from the police force.
The perceived anomalies’ and inadequacies thus gave birth to the unit which was welcome with high expectation from every segment of the society. The elite who had hitherto become a prisoner in their own magnificent edifice celebrated the birth of S.A.R’s with pomp and pageantry while the proletariats were relieved of the horrible experience of stray bullet.
The outfit was man by well trained personnel who are adequately trained in modern system of policing while necessary gadgets were provided to ease their mode or operation. Respect for human rights was religiously followed; their attitude and courtesy fulfill all measures of international best practices. S.A.R’s outfit became an instant hero through their scintillating efforts in apprehending several notable criminal cells across the length and breadth of the country.
Sanity and order were returned into our socio-economic life through their morbid intervention. Inter-state bandits and cattle rustlers did not find favour in the sight of this interventionist unit, bank robbery reduced drastically.
The feats became the selling point for the S.A.R’s unit, Nigerians sing their praises and celebrate their success with ecstasy and funfair. Government often rewarded some for the personnel with special promotion, while other incentive keeps forthcoming.
The units activities do adorned front pages of national dailies, while Television and Radio stations do give the outfit premium attention in their news bulletin.
What could now caused the call for the scrapping of the unit that has safe the nation from the precipice of been over ran by bandits and armed robbers? The incursion of cyber crime into the country criminal space is one of the major points that led to the eventful call, S.A.R’s officers forgot the reasons for the establishment of the unit, and they dabbled into what is not within their area of operation {AOR}.
The unit usurped the work and function of police financial fraud unit, every successful young-men and women who labour within the legal confinement to achieve that status is termed “yahoo boy’s”. Those who struggle to acquire education and through hard work and luck were fortunate to hit goldmine became instant target for the predator.
The youths could no longer move around with Laptops and savvy phones, the fear of S.A.R’s has forced our young ones to abandoned their own private cars which was acquired through responsible means for “okada” and other public transportation. The quest to acquire financial power has blinded some S.A.R’s personnel to the extent of arresting a Reverend father for using expensive necklace while notable Imam had unpalatable experience from the outfit.
The outfit as turned virtually every citizens into criminal in their infertile minds, they threatened to shoot as if the nation is in a state of war. The mere sight of S.A.R’s officers as sent several innocent souls into burial ground because of fear, some of their victims are now using crutches to walk while some are in a vegetative state.
I detest young minds who engage in cyber crime with strong passion, despite the biting economics situation in the country, the determined one’s are achieving unprecedented feats thought creativity and innovation.
The nation is blessed with considerable numbers of young millionaire who achieved such states through legal means; some of these innocent minds have their own tale in the hands of S.A.R’s personnel.
S.A.R’s offices is now in the economic/commercial sector class because of it’s unbridle competition with commercial banks, Federal Inland Revenues Service e.t.c in terms of funds generation.
Their modus operandi differs from that of the commercial banks because their own charges are non-negotiable. They charged you to pay bogus amount without any complimentary receipt. Family members of their victims were subjected to abused and threat in their quest to confirm the status of their ward.
S.A.R’s office thus become a security office and a judicial cathedral, they alleges and determines the Fate of their victims. Lawyers and judges are objects of ridicules to these mean men; they threatened to kill with nostalgia without recourse to the constitution.
Ogbomoso S.A.R’s unit won gold medal in this inhuman treatment and obnoxious extortion of innocent minds. Criminal elements in their cell whose family have abandoned because of their failure to pay the bogus bail fees were often used to point to responsible individuals in the society as one of the customer who has patronized their criminal network in the past. Several notable indigenes and non-indigenes had unpalatable experienced in this regard; they were force to cough out humongous fees to safe themselves from any embarrassment.
The criminal elements in their cells will be living large and comfortable as long as he keeps pouting to innocent(s) people who will be force to part with money.
The most recent case is that of Mr. Afolabi Tunde and Mr. Uche,a the phone seller at Takie Ogbomoso who bought a phone from a retail outlet for a female friend, S.A.R’s officers arrested the lady under the nebulous allegation of stolen phone. The lady was free after spending two days in their gulag. Mr. Afolabi Tunde and the phone vendors were put in the cell with hardened criminals for more than ten days. The S.A.R’s unit did not bother to search their houses or present the owner of the phone if it ever exist.
Mr. Afolabi Tunde was forced to pay the sum of N155,000 to secure his freedom, in their desire to cover their track, the victim was made to sign an undertaking never to discuss about the issue with anybody. The unit Commander who claimed the case is under investigation has not concluded the investigation till date. The phone vendor was made to pay the sum of N400,000 to secure his bail, with these circumstances I bought into the police creed that bail is free indeed.
The inspector General of police as promised to re-organize and re-positions the outfit for better service delivery. I am totally averse to the call for the scrapping of the unit. IGP should match his words with actions for Nigerians to believe him and take him for his words, he must weeds out those criminal elements in the outfit, proper code of conduct and training should be given to the personnel in the outfit.
Medium of seeking for a redress should be made known to the public. IGP should ensure the use of CCTV in S.A.R.’s offices nationwide to stem inhuman treatment that is rampant in their dormitory.
Non use of official uniform, vehicles and the likes should be proscribed; this infraction could not assist the citizens to differentiate between criminals and S.A.R.’s personnel. The S.A.R.’s outfit should continue to perform its statutory duties, the failure of few disgruntled elements in their rank should never be the basis to call for it end, there is no system that is perfect hence the perceived inadequacy should be given prompt and pragmatic attention that it’s deserves.
Yours faithfully,
Com. Adewole Adeeyo
Ikoyi-ile
Oyo State.
