The head of Nigeria’s police dissolved its Special Anti-Robbery Squad with immediate effect, a police statement said, prompted by days of protests across the country against alleged brutality by the controversial unit reut.rs/3jPXeLq 1/5 by @alexisak and Abraham Achirga
The protests broke out after a video circulated last week allegedly showing members of the unit - known as SARS - shooting dead a man in Delta state. It also prompted a globally trending social media campaign using the hashtag #SARSMUSTEND to abolish the squad 2/5
'The dissolution of SARS is in response to the yearnings of the Nigerian people,' a police statement said.
It added that the police was redeploying unit members and would announce a new strategy to tackle SARS’ remit of fighting armed robbery, kidnapping and other crime 3/5
It added that the police was redeploying unit members and would announce a new strategy to tackle SARS’ remit of fighting armed robbery, kidnapping and other crime 3/5
Protesters and rights groups met the announcement with skepticism and calls for justice. Police officials and politicians have said they were disbanding or reforming SARS multiple times in recent years, with little visible change, critics say 4/5
For years, Nigerians have accused SARS of heavy-handed methods, particularly the young, who say officers regularly target, beat and extort them. Read more: reut.rs/3jPXeLq 5/5
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