President Muhammadu Buhari has released an address to protesters, saying that the disbanding of SARS is only the first step in police reforms. He also promised that all police officers responsible for misconduct will be brought to justice.
He spoke on Monday, following days of protests by Nigerian youths who have been agitating for the total disbandment of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, a unit of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) infamous for extortion, kidnapping, killing, and maiming of Nigerian youths.
The Inspector-General of Police had on Sunday, October 11 announced the dissolution of the squad, but youths took a step further in their demands, saying only an Executive Order will show the government’s seriousness.
Meanwhile, the president in a video on his verified Twitter handle said the few bad eggs in the NPF should not be allowed to tarnish the image of the force.
See video below
The disbanding of SARS is only the first step in our commitment to extensive police reforms in order to ensure that the primary duty of the police and other law enforcement agencies remains the protection of lives and livelihood of our people. pic.twitter.com/XjQMSr3jlm
— Muhammadu Buhari (@MBuhari) October 12, 2020