Nigerians on social media have again began campaign aimed at forcing the Federal Government to take immediate steps to contain rising cases of brutality linked to the police Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).
The department has faced relentless allegations of wanton arrests, torture and extortion of citizens for decades, but the menace was only being collectively amplified on the Internet in recent months.
The latest crusade began on Saturday and has jumped to number one on Nigerian Twitter trends by Sunday morning. But there are concerns that it may end up futile like the initial outcry launched in late November.
During that push, hundreds of Nigerians narrated their ordeal during alleged encounters with SARS personnel, whose primary focus should have been on curbing violent crimes like armed robbery, vandalism and kidnapping.
But over six months later, little appeared to have changed as grievous revelations of alleged SARS ruthlessness surface on the Internet regularly.
The unpleasant and sometimes fatal encounters with SARS operatives continue despite initial appeal and institutional changes announced by Inspector-General Ibrahim Idris. In a December 4 statement, Mr Idris said he had appointed a police commissioner who would oversee the activities of the squad for better coordination and accountability.
The statement, signed by police spokesperson Jimoh Moshood, said Idris also ordered a sweeping investigation of all complaints raised against SARS personnel across the country, especially those chronicled under the #EndSARS hashtag at the time.
Even though Idris reportedly banned SARS operatives from indiscriminate stop-and-search duties, especially those targeted at young Nigerians, latest complaints online indicate a possible disregard of that directive.
The officers are still mounting roadblocks during which proportionately high number of young men could be targeted for part downs, either while driving solo, with passengers or even in commercial vehicles.
The latest campaign appeared after a video surfaced online that appeared to show a man shot dead in broad daylight by suspected SARS operatives in Ojota, Lagos. A man in SARS T-shirt could be seen around the male victim, surrounded by a trembling crowd muttering that he was shot by SARS who allegedly saw him as an Internet fraudster.
The police later identified the officers involved and said they have been dismissed after being found guilty in an orderly room procedure on Saturday, but added the suspect was teargassed and not shot as widely reported. They also said the man did not die but only collapsed because the gas worsened his asthmatic condition.
On Saturday, Oby Ezekwesili complained about the worrisome dimension the conduct of SARS has taken, calling on citizens to intensify their advocacy if they truly desire an end to the menace.
