CONTRARY to media reports, the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) said it had no plan to restore the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad, popularly known as SARS.
Force Spokesperson Frank Mba, who said this in a statement on Thursday, noted that the dreaded and notorious unit was gone forever and would not be brought back under any disguise.
“The Force wishes to categorically emphasise 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,” he said.
He said the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Usman Alkali had already organised the Force’s operational structure to fill the vacuum created by the disbandment of SARS.
According to the statement, the IGP called on members of the public to disregard the report, saying it was false and deliberately intended to disinform and misinform.
SARS was a subject of a nationwide protest last October following its human rights abuses and high-handedness against Nigerians.
It was accused of extortions, intimidations, harassment and murders of many young Nigerians.
In response to the protest, which was staged across major cities in the country, President Muhammadu directed the then IGP Mohammed Adamu to disband the unit and re-organise it into a more pragmatic and formidable unit.
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