The Federal Special Anti-robbery Squad (FSARS), Special Investigation Panel (SIP) and Special Tactical Squad (STS) have been immediately disbanded by the Acting Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu.

The disbandment was announced on Monday at Adamu’s inaugural conference with Commissioners of Police and other senior officers in Abuja.

Based on the new directive, the FSARS will now be domiciled under the direct supervision of the Commissioners of Police in the 36 states.

The IGP Special Investigation Panel and IGP Special Tactical Squad were established by the former IGP Ibrahim Idris who also centralized the operations of SARS into Federal SARS.

Recall that the former IGP appointed a new Commissioner of police as the head of the Federal Special Anti-robbery Squad.

This appointment comes hours after vice-president Yemi Osinbajo directed Idris to overhaul the unit tied to the police.

Concise News had reported that operatives of FSARS were banned from wearing mufti while on duty, and ordered them to wear police uniforms with full identification, pending the launch of new FSARS uniform, as part of efforts aimed at reforming the police unit.

The former Inspector General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris, had vowed that any member of the squad found violating rights of the citizens would be dealt with decisively.

Ilori, whose team visited the detention facilities of the state command of SARS in Dugbe, Ibadan, said the team was carrying out the IGP’s order as a result of the directive from the presidency.

“There is no way SARS can be carrying arms while wearing mufti because it will be hard for the public to distinguish between them and armed robbers,” he said.

Spokesman for the police, Acting DCP Jimoh Moshood, said that the FSARS has been directed to operate under the Department of Operations, Force Headquarters, Abuja.

Part of the statement read below: “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.

“All Commissioners of Police have been directed by the Inspector General of Police to comply with this directive with immediate effect and warn their personnel not to pose as SARS operatives. The IGP X-Squad and Monitoring Unit have been mandated to go round the Commands and Police Formations nationwide to ensure strict compliance with the Presidential directives and apprehend any erring police officer.

“A new Standard Operational Guidelines and Procedures, and code of conduct for all FSARS personnel to ensure that the operations of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad is in strict adherence to the rule of law and with due regards to international human rights law and constitutionally guaranteed rights of suspects will be enforced in totality by the Commissioner of Police, 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 to take complaints from the public and forward same to Force Headquarters, the officer will be answerable to the Commissioner of Police, FSARS at the Force Headquarters and not Commander FSARS in the States.

“ii. Medical/Psychological evaluation of all FSARS personnel will be carried out immediately.

“iii. Redesigning of new uniform with identity name tag for all FSARS personnel throughout the Country will be done immediately.

“iv. Henceforth, FSARS personnel will not perform Stop and Search duties except on distress call to respond to armed robbery and kidnapping offences only.

“The Force will be transparent, cooperate, and work cordially with the National Human Right Commission on the special panel that will conduct an investigation of the alleged unlawful activities of FSARS to address grievances from the public against the personnel of FSARS in compliance with the presidential directives.

“Furthermore, a new training program to be organized by the Force in collaboration with some Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), Local and International NGOs, and other Human Rights Organizations on core Police Duties, Observant of Human Rights and Handling, Care and Custody of Suspects have been directed by the Inspector General of Police for all Federal SARS personnel nationwide with immediate effect.

“A committee of Senior Police officers, Technical Consultants, Human Rights/Civil Society organizations (CSOs) has been setup to review the activities of FSARS under the new arrangement. They are to pay unscheduled visits to FSARS formations across the country with particular attention to States with high complaints index, to assess facilities and situations in these States and submit report to the Inspector General of Police on regular basis.”

The IGP also urged aggrieved members of the public, who have any complaint in the past or present of violation of their rights by any SARS personnel, to report through any of its channels for investigation and redress.

i. DIG, Department of Operations: 08037025670

ii. IGP X-SQUAD

0902 690 0729, 08078662130, 08174041000 – CALLS

0903 227 8905 – SMS

0903 562 1377 – whatsapp

Email: [email protected]

iii. IGP Monitoring Unit: [email protected], 08036242591

iv. Commissioner of Police, FSARS: 08033476852

v. FORCE PUBLIC COMPLAINT BUREAU

07056792065 Calls/SMS/whatsapp

08088450152 Calls/SMS/whatsapp

Email: [email protected], [email protected]

Twitter: @PoliceNG

www.facebook.com/ngpolice

vi. PUBLIC COMPLAINT RAPID RESPONSE UNIT (PCRRU)

08057000001 – Calls Only

08057000002 – Calls Only

08057000003 – SMS & whatsapp only

Twitter: @PoliceNG_PCRRU

www.facebook.com/PolicePCRRU

NGOs/CSOs

vii. [email protected], 08027757359

viii. [email protected], [email protected], 09051133035

ix. [email protected]

x. [email protected], 07037887630