The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Adamu, has banned personnels of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS), Intelligence Response Team (IGR), Special Tactical Squad (STS), and other "Tactical Squads" of the Nigerian Police from operating on Nigerian roads.
The directive was issued in a statement released by the Force's Public Relations Officer, Frank Mba, on Sunday, October 4, 2020.
This is coming after the series of recent online protests staged by Nigerians while calling for the scrap of the Police Unit, SARS.
The SARS has over the time been accused of several human rights violation, especially on young Nigerians seen carrying electronic gadgets like laptop computers and phones.
The call for the abolition of the SARS unit waxed stronger on Sunday with the Lagos State Police Command promising to cleanse its ranks of officers found culpable of improper acts.
From the new order, activities which are also banned by the affected officers include routine patrols and other conventional low-risk duties, such as stop and search duties, mounting of road blocks, traffic checks, all with immediate effect.
Furthermore, no personnel of the Force is authorized to embark on tactical assignments or patrols while on mufti.
The statement reads in part;
“They must always appear in their police uniforms or approved tactical gear.
"The IGP’s directives come against the backdrop of findings by the leadership of the Force that a few personnel of the Tactical Squads hide under these guise to perpetrate all forms of illegality, contrary to the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), Code of Conduct and Rules of Engagement establishing the squads.” (Culled from Vanguard)
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