The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has denied media reports of it aiming to bring back the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) disbanded last year.
The report said Usman Baba, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) released new terms and guidelines that will govern the notorious unit of the force known for abusing human rights and extrajudicial killings.
The brutal police unit was finally scrapped last year October after Nigerians staged historic global protests calling for its dissolution.
But in a statement by police spokesman, Frank Mba on Thursday, the force described the report as untrue.
“The attention of the Nigeria Police Force has been drawn to a false news report making the rounds online and offline suggesting that the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Usman Alkali Baba, psc (+), NPM, fdc has ordered the re-establishment of the defunct Special Anti – Robbery Squad (SARS),” reads the statement. “The Force wishes to categorically emphasize that there is no plan whatsoever to bring back the disbanded SARS. SARS is gone for good and will not resurrect under any guise whatsoever.
“The IGP notes that the Force has since reorganized its operational structure to fill the vacuum created by the disbandment of SARS.
“Baba said the leadership of the Force is focused on efforts at deepening reforms within the Police and bequeathing Nigerians a Police Force that will be more effective, efficient, technology-driven, humane and Rule of Law-compliant.
“The IGP therefore calls on members of the public to disregard the report which is absolutely false and deliberately intended to misinform and misinform members of the public,” the police added.
