Thread by @toluogunlesi

This policing issue is in my view largely about accountability & oversight. One starting question is: what are the external levels of oversight,in addition to whatever oversight the Police Leadership is providing. This is where CSOs come in. See this from @PoliceNG in 2018 (1)

Hashtags and social media campaigns have their place but the outcomes being expected will take more than hashtags to produce. For starters, it’d be interesting to know which CSOs/consultants were enlisted in this 2018 accountability mechanism. Its definitely time to re-engage (2)

IG has spoken, issued directives, which we all welcome. & there’s concensus that enforcement is the koko. Now, that level of accountability will not happen by hashtag. Will only happen by multilayered oversight efforts by citizens/CSOs,in addition to internal Police oversight (3)

And this is not even a conversation about FSARS alone,it’s about law enforcement generally. Note that FSARS is not the only tactical squad cited in today’s directives. There’s STS, IRT, ACS and others. Anyone who thinks the conversation is about SARS alone misses the full pic (4)

The engagement effort to build ext. oversight is where the real work lies. Anything else = merely palliative. You can scrap FSARS all you want & still wouldn’t have addressed root issues of oversight & accountability. IG’s new directives are very welcome; now for enforcement. (5)

Meanwhile, for those interested in a bit of history, ie how did SARS even come to exist in the first place (1992), here’s an interview with the guy who was its first head (keep in mind the Police have ALWAYS had dedicated “anti-robbery” units: google.com/amp/s/www.vang… (6)

Those regular 3rd party inspections of Police Formations, and engagement between Police leadership and independent groups, as outlined in the 2018 Police statement that started this thread have to be taken seriously. The CSOs involved originally can and should make it happen (7)

One small irony that cannot be overlooked 😐 is when Nigerians who illegally use police personnel for private purposes, are also busy lamenting about unethical policing. Bulk of the blame of course belongs to the Police, but all who illegally use MOPOL etc are also complicit (8).