By Okey Chris
Awka
A coalition of civil society organisations under the auspices of #OurMumuDondo has issued a 21-day ultimatum to federal government to scrap Special Anti- Robbery Squad (SARS) over its alleged unlawful activities.
The group, which staged a peaceful demonstration in Awka, the Anambra state capital, yesterday bearing placards of various inscriptions, claimed that it would resort to another undisclosed action if the federal government and authorities concerned fail to meet up with its demands.
Addressing newsmen, the Anambra state coordinator of #Ourmumudondo, Comrade Ndubuisi Anaenugwu, said they aligned themselves with the campaigns to end SARS orchestrated by their parent body founded by a popular entertainer, Charley Boy.
Anaenugwu, who enumerated the sins committed by members of SARS to include lack of respect for the rule of law, extortion, extrajudicial murder and the disappearance of hundreds of people, alleged that the actions were indicative that the Unit has outlived its usefulness and currently constitutes a clear and present threat to the safety, wellbeing and welfare of most Nigerians.
“We demand for the constitution of a panel by the Police Services Commission to reform the Nigerian Police in its entirety. The agenda must include provisions for better training of police officers; provision of better equipment and firearms; better welfare including housing, insurance, prompt payment of salaries and pensions, etc; establishment of a code of conduct and strict compliance thereto as well as strong disciplinary measures for any officer who violates the code of conduct”.
“We also demand for a public hearing at the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to enable Nigerians table their grievances before our elected representatives as well as the submission of memoranda on reforms of the Nigerian Police including recommendations on the amendment of laws to ensure a more efficient police force.
“We demand thorough investigations into complaints filed against SARS officers. We demand that such officers be identified and immediately brought to justice. In some cases, we will provide video and pictoral evidence against officers who have been seen to be involved in such acts of brutality and extortion.”
Also speaking, Engr. Aniebue Anthony and Prince Festus Madueke, stressed that they did not want people working under SARs to be retrenched, and urged the government to redeploy and retrain them under the police command, in addition to allowing the Criminal Investigative Department (CID) to perform its responsibility of investigating criminal-related issues.
