Police boss immediately unbundles anti-robbery squad and renames it following Osinbajo's directive

INSPECTOR-general of police Ibrahim Idris has swung into action after being given a directive by acting president Professor Yemi Osinbajo to reform the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (Sars) by unbundling the agency and renaming it.

Earlier this week, Professor Osinbajo asked Mr Idris to address the problem of Sars in response to public pressure for the squad to be reformed. Apart from the fact that it was not effective in combating armed robbery, Sars was also renown for corruption and its men were known to engage in numerous human rights abuses.

In a swift response, Mr Idris has unbundled Sars teams across the country and centralised its command and control. He has also changed its name to the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (Fsars) and appointed a new commissioner to run the squad who will report to the deputy inspector-general of police, operations and no longer to the Federal Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department.

Police spokesman Jimoh Moshood, said there would also be a psychological examination of Fsars operatives nationwide, adding that a human rights desk would be created at each unit. These actions, he said, were to address complaints and allegations of human rights violations against some Sars personnel.

Mr Moshood added: “In observance of full compliance with the presidential directives, Fsars will be intelligence driven and restricted to the prevention and detection of robbery, kidnapping and the apprehension of offenders linked to the stated offences only. New Fsars commanders are being appointed across the country that will now exist and operate in the state and zonal commands under the commissioner of police (Fsars) at the force headquarters, Abuja.

“A federal Fsars commander of a rank of chief superintendent of police but not below superintendent of police, 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 to comply with this directive with immediate effect and warn their personnel not to pose as Sars operatives."

He added that an X-Squad and monitoring units have been mandated to go round the commands and police formations nationwide to ensure compliance with the presidential directives and apprehend any erring police officer. New standard operational guidelines and procedures and code of conduct for Fsars personnel are also being introduced.