Michael-Azeez Ogunsiji
*ABEOKUTA* – A Human Right Activist, Mr. Femi Falana, SAN has called on Federal Government to extensively reform the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) for effective community policing.
Falana who spoke at the 2018 PCRC/FSARS Interactive Seminar held in Abeokuta stated that, if the SARS officials are adequately funded and empowered with sophisticated weapons, the right of every citizens would be protected.
According to him, the problem of insecurity in Nigeria was aggravated by the lack of sufficient numbers of police for the country, hence there is an urgent need for mass police recruitment.
Mr. Falana noted that, the country is short of Police personnel, adding that, there should be nothing less than one million policemen to police the country.
He therefore urged the government not to abolished the Federal-SARS, but reform them sufficiently to the extent that men and women in the force would respect the rights of people.
While charging the federal and state governments on the bed to urgently engage in massive recruitment into Nigeria Police Force to combat crime in the society.
Speaking on the herdsmen killings, he called on the Attorney -General to prosecute all arrested terrorists involved in taking lives of innocent people in Nigeria.
“I am of the view that the laws have embolden our people to demand for their human rights as far as this laws are concerned no suspect is to be tortured in any way. Under the new human right law nobody shall be arrested unduely.
“Nobody shall be arrested for another person. If anybody is arrested, he/she is entitle to bail either in the police station or in the court of law and it is important for Nigerians to know.
“If Nigerians are aware of theirs rights, they will not be cheated of them. Nobody can be handcuff or leg chained if he is not a violent person u are entitled to the privacy of your home and your life”.
Also speaking, the Commissioner of Police in Ogun state, Ahmed Iliyasu tasked FSARS officials to always display competency in their daily activities.
He charged them to be combatant and always ready to face criminals in any of their operations and they must always be alert mentally in order to prevent themselves in all ramifications adding that they should be civil when dealing with human lives.
Meanwhile, the OC/FSARS in Ogun State, Supol Uba Adams noted that, the FSARS operation is tied to apron string of thebstate police command, adding that his men have been working tremendously to curb crimes like armed robbery, cultism, kidnapping, murder and cattle rusting among others.
Earlier, the police community relations committee chairman in Ogun state, Alhaji Ibrahim olaniyonu said the understanding between police and PCRC in the state has been mutual.