The Inspector General of Police (IG), Mr. Ibrahim Idris, in compliance with federal government’s directives has ordered the immediate
overhauling of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) which will now be known as Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS).
The overhaul SHARPEDGEOnline learnt is to address complaints, excesses, allegations on human rights violations against some of the personnel of Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) from across the country.
ACP Jimoh Moshood in a statement said in the new architecture, a new Commissioner of Police has been appointed as the overall head of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad nationwide.
The statement said: “The Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad previously under the Force Criminal Intelligence and Investigations Department (FCIID) is henceforth to operate under the Department of Operations, Force Headquarters Abuja. The Commissioner of Police (FSARS) is answerable to the Inspector General of Police through the Deputy Inspector General of Police, Department of Operations.
“In observance of full compliance with the Presidential directives, the Federal Anti-Robbery Squad will be intelligence driven and will be restricted to the prevention and detection of Armed Robbery, kidnapping and the apprehension of offenders linked to the stated offences only.”
“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.
According to him, a new standard operational guidelines and procedures, and code of conduct for all FSARS personnel will be enforced in totality by the CP, 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 will now receive complaints from the public and forward same to Force Headquarters, stressing that the officer will be answerable to the Commissioner of Police, FSARS at the Force Headquarters and not Commander FSARS in the States.
Moshood said aggrieved members of the public who have any complaint in the past or present of violation of their rights by any Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) personnel anywhere in the country are to report through any of the following channels for investigation and redress: DIG, Department of Operations: 08037025670, IGP X-SQUAD, 0902 690 0729, 08078662130, 08174041000 – CALLS, 0903 227 8905 – SMS, 0903 562 1377 – whatsapp, Email: integrityxsquad@gmail.com, IGP Monitoring Unit: igpmonotoringabj@yahoo.com, 08036242591, Commissioner of Police, FSARS: 08033476852, FORCE PUBLIC COMPLAINT BUREAU, 07056792065 Calls/SMS/whatsapp, 08088450152 Calls/SMS/whatsapp,Email: bailisfree@gmail.com, pressforabuja@gmail.com