The Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) was founded in late 1992 by former police commissioner Simeon Danladi Midenda.The inciting events that spurred SARS' formation were the death of Colonel Israel Rindam (Nigerian Army) by police officers at a checkpoint in Lagos on September 1992, their arrest, a strike by police officers in response, and a subsequent crime wave. Ndi Kato, 31, said: "No one threw anything or did anything wrong. The hashtag #EndSARS has been trending not just in Nigeria but across the world for several days. The Latest news in Nigeria and world news. People protest against alleged police brutality near to the Lekki toll gate [Sunday Alamba/AP]“It became very clear very quickly that the protest cannot just be about SARS, because the kind of abuses that are documented with SARS squad are also something that has become part of everyday life of Nigerians in their contact with figures of authority across the board,” Annie Olaloku-Teriba, Nigerian affairs analyst, told Al Jazeera. ABUJA, Nigeria — For weeks, young Nigerians rallying behind the hashtag #EndSARS have filled the streets of major cities across Nigeria demanding the … Many are also calling for more wide-sweeping change in Nigeria, which has the largest number of people living in extreme poverty in the world and a massive youth unemployment rate. Despite massive oil wealth and one of Africa’s largest economies, Nigeria’s people have high levels of poverty and lack of basic services, as a result of rampant corruption, charge rights groups. Solidarity protests took place Sunday in the United Kingdom, led by the actor John Boyega, and in Washington DC, in the United States. Police formed SARS in 1992 to tackle violent crimes such as carjacking, armed robbery and kidnapping. Police authorities in Lagos established the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) in the early 1990s to combat armed robbery in the city and its suburbs. Nigeria's Inspector General of Police announced that the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, known as SARS, will be dissolved, according to a police statement. But the demonstrations, against a unit of the Nigerian police force called SARS (the Special Anti-Robbery Squad), show little sign of slowing down. Protests against police brutality in Lagos turned bloody on Tuesday despite a state-wide curfew, with eyewitnesses telling CNN that multiple demonstrators have been shot by soldiers. SARS Is a Specialized Unit of the Nigerian Police Force Which Became Known for Its Human Rights … One woman who was at the Abuja march Saturday, where tear gas was also used, told CNN the protests were peaceful until police started firing at protesters. I have received with deep sadness the news of the passing of one of our children, Jimoh Isiaka, who was shot during the ENDSARS protest in Ogbomoso. Nigeria to disband Sars police unit accused of killings and brutality This article is more than 5 months old Announcement comes after growing protests, but critics say it does not go far enough The following day, as anti-riot police units were deployed nationwide and a round-the-clock curfew was imposed in Lagos, witnesses and rights groups said soldiers opened fire on demonstrators who had defied a curfew in Lagos. Tuesday 6 … Before the decision to disband SARS was announced, one man died and several others were injured as police in. Drop your mail and be the first to get fresh news. "IGP M.A Adamu ... has today, 11th October, 2020, dissolved the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) across the 36 State Police Commands and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT)," a statement from police spokesman Frank Mba said. “The disbanding of SARS is only the first step in our commitment to extensive police reform 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,” President Muhammadu Buhari said. Authorities denied the video was real. But later on Wednesday, Amnesty said it had confirmed that “the Nigerian army and police killed at least 12 peaceful protesters yesterday at two locations in Lagos. Lagos, Nigeria (CNN)A controversial Nigerian police unit accused of brutality will be disbanded, following nationwide protests demanding an end to police violence in the country. Protesters in Nigeria's capital Abuja also reported that police were using water cannons and firing live ammunition during a march on Sunday afternoon. Nigerians have called on the disbandment of the Anti-Robbery Squad SARS Nigeria's inspector general of police has banned a notorious unit from … I’m calling on @mbuhari and the @hqnigerianarmy to stop killing young #EndSARS protesters. On January 6, 2021 11:07 am In News, SARS Update by Oboh Lagos State Government has engaged forensic experts to investigate the Lekki Tollgate shootings of … These include the immediate release of all arrested protesters; justice for all deceased victims of brutality; and appropriate compensation for their families. The statement reads: “We condemn in its totality, the resurgence of unprovoked and unjustified violence of operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) on Nigerian … Follow live: One … Home » News » Awkuzu SARS: Nigeria’s most dreaded specialized police unit Awkuzu SARS: Nigeria’s most dreaded specialized police unit On October 17, 2020 4:31 am In News … The SARS was a special branch of the Nigerian Police Force created in 1992 to deal with crimes associated with robbery and firearms. The hashtag first surfaced in 2017 as activists in Nigeria sought to abolish a federal police unit called the Special Anti-Robbery Squad. Young people mobilising through social media began staging demonstrations calling for the abolition of the federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), which has long been accused of unlawful arrests, torture and extrajudicial killings. However, the announcements did not satisfy protesters, who viewed them as just another renaming exercise and pledged to stay on the streets until their demands are met. Five others were also injured in the state and taken to hospital. The nationwide protests were a culmination of weeks of anger and outcry online by the country's young people over claims of kidnapping, harassment murder, and extortion by SARS. #EndSARS: Nigeria says Special Anti-Robbery Squad dissolved, In Pictures: #EndSARS protests continue in Nigeria, ‘We need justice’: Nigerians to keep up #EndSARS pressure, Myanmar UN envoy urges no-fly zone as many protesters killed, Pro-Trump congressman Matt Gaetz faces sex allegations, George Floyd autopsy doctor stands by homicide ruling, Facebook job ads skewed by gender bias, study finds, The priceless racism of the Duke of Edinburgh, EU regulators reviewing J&J’s COVID vaccine after blood clots, Sri Lanka arrests ‘Mrs World’ after on-stage fracas, assault, ‘Law against Islam’: French vote in favour of hijab ban condemned, Al Jazeera Centre for Public Liberties & Human Rights. Nigerian politicians deny people have … He also accused the Mavin CEO of intimidating him. pic.twitter.com/3elzVeRkwk. SARS was a special police unit set up decades ago as Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, battled rising levels of crime and kidnappings. SARS was established in 1992 to tackle robbery, kidnappings and other violent crime, but has been widely criticised for human rights abuses including torture, extortion and extrajudicial killings. Background. … Two weeks of protests that started against a notorious police unit named SARS have mushroomed into a broader movement, posing a challenge to … The #EndSars hashtag has been trending worldwide since Friday and people in Nigeria have been using it to share videos and images of police using water cannons and tear gas to disperse protesters. Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari, complied with protesters demands and dissolved the SARS on October 11, and replaced it with a new Special Weapons and Tactics team. On October 13, thousands of people took to the streets in a string of cities, bringing traffic to a standstill in Nigeria’a economic hub and largest citym Lagos. "I have received with deep sadness the news of the passing of one of our children, Jimoh Isiaka, who was shot during the ENDSARS protest in Ogbomoso," Makinde said on Saturday. Replacing SARS with SWAT will not address police brutality -UN Thursday, October 22, 2020 Motunrayo 1 Latest News in Nigeria Michelle Bachelet, the United Nations high commissioner for human rights, has faulted the manner in which the Nigeria police force set up special weapons and tactics (SWAT) to replace the special anti-robbery squad (SARS). The Lagos governor initially said 25 people were wounded but that there were not fatalities during the incident in Lekki toll plaza in Lagos. 24 Mar Nigeria A car dealer, Timothy Ogbeye, told a National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Wednesday that he was tortured by SARS operatives in Anambra for refusing to … Soldiers from a police unit called the Special-Anti-Robbery Squad, or SARS, shot at protesters who had gathered in the Lekki toll gate area of Lagos, according to Amnesty International. In June 2020, Amnesty International released a report that documented at least 82 cases of torture, ill-treatment and extrajudicial execution by SARS between January 2017 and May 2020. For two weeks, Nigeria has been rocked by protests that erupted against police violence and evolved into broader anti-government demonstrations, leading to a deadly crackdown. Killings took place in Lekki and Alausa, where thousands were protesting police brutality.”. 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