IGP Adamu Orders Immediate Disbandment Of FSARS, Two Others
The Federal Special Anti-robbery Squad (FSARS), Special Investigation Panel (SIP) and Special Tactical Squad (STS) have been immediately disbanded by the Acting Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu.
The disbandment was announced on Monday at Adamu’s inaugural conference with Commissioners of Police and other senior officers in Abuja.
Based on the new directive, the FSARS will now be domiciled under the direct supervision of the Commissioners of Police in the 36 states.
The IGP Special Investigation Panel and IGP Special Tactical Squad were established by the former IGP Ibrahim Idris who also centralized the operations of SARS into Federal SARS.
Recall that the former IGP appointed a new Commissioner of police as the head of the Federal Special Anti-robbery Squad.
This appointment comes hours after vice-president Yemi Osinbajo directed Idris to overhaul the unit tied to the police.
NAIJAPARRY had reported that operatives of FSARS were banned from wearing mufti while on duty, and ordered them to wear police uniforms with full identification, pending the launch of new FSARS uniform, as part of efforts aimed at reforming the police unit.
The immediate past Inspector General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris, had vowed that any member of the squad found violating rights of the citizens would be dealt with decisively.
Former spokesman for the police DCP Jimoh Moshood had said that the FSARS had been directed to operate under the Department of Operations, Force Headquarters, Abuja.
Part of his statement read: “New FSARS Commanders are being appointed for the Federal Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS) across the country that will now exist and operate in the State and Zonal Commands under the Commissioner of Police (F-SARS) at the Force Headquarters, Abuja. A Federal SARS Commander of a Rank of Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) but not below Superintendent of Police (SP) will be in charge of FSARS in State and Zonal Commands across the Country.
“All Commissioners of Police have been directed by the Inspector General of Police to comply with this directive with immediate effect and warn their personnel not to pose as SARS operatives. The IGP X-Squad and Monitoring Unit have been mandated to go round the Commands and Police Formations nationwide to ensure strict compliance with the Presidential directives and apprehend any erring police officer.
“A new Standard Operational Guidelines and Procedures, and code of conduct for all FSARS personnel to ensure that the operations of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad is in strict adherence to the rule of law and with due regards to international human rights law and constitutionally guaranteed rights of suspects will be enforced in totality by the Commissioner of Police, FSARS. Other measures to be implemented by the Force in observance of full compliance with the presidential directives are as follows:
“Human Rights Desk Officers for FSARS in every State to take complaints from the public and forward same to Force Headquarters, the officer will be answerable to the Commissioner of Police, FSARS at the Force Headquarters and not Commander FSARS in the States.”