The Special Anti-Robbery Squad was a Nigerian Police force unit created in late 1992 by the Former Commissioner Simeon Danladi Milenda to deal with crimes associated with Robbery, Motor vehicle theft, kidnapping, Cattle Rustling, and Firearms.
It was part of the Force Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (FCIID), the major reason SARS was formed was when Col. Rindam of the Nigerian Army was killed by police officers at a check point in Lagos in September 1992.
The Nigerian Police were sought after by the the Nigerian Army to avenge their Colonel’s death, and the Nigerian Police withdrew from checkpoints, security areas and other major areas of interest for Criminals, due to the absence of Police for two weeks, the crime rate increased and SARS was formed with only 15 officers operating in the shadows.
SARS started infiltrating Universities when the rate of cultism became high over the years and have actually been known to being peace and calmness in areas where there used to be uneasiness.
Just like the famous quote “Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process He doesn’t become a monster”
With their new gotten power, new members and influence, their dread fell upon all citizens. It is rumoured that their operatives consists vof the ex-convicts, cultists in order to know how other Criminals think.
SARS started a self imposed mission to find internet fraudsters called “yahoo boys”, they would stop innocent youths who drove flashy cars, wore chains, had nice phones, dreadlocks, tattoos or even ripped jeans and label them as cyber criminals.
They go as far as searching phones to seek pictures of foreigners not minding if it was a business client, business partner or even a mentor. When tagged a “Yahoo boy” you are either kidnapped, extorted from or Shot at.
On 20th May, 2010, a Federal high court in Enugu ordered the Inspector General of Police, Ogbonna Okechukwu Onovo to produce a teen shot dead by a SARS officer who claimed the teen was a kidnapper, this was the first of many other probings of the SARS Unit.
On 7th August, 2015, the SARS Unit was splitted into two, by The IGP then Solomon Arase, one was an operational unit and the other an investigation unit in order to reduce the number of SARS operatives on the streets and curb the cases of injustice.
December 2017, Segun Awosanya started an online campaign to end SARS Brutality but was tagged as a criminal by the Nigerian police Force Public Relations Officer Jimoh Moshod, who thought it was a bid to reduce the effect of the Unit.
On 14th August, 2018, the Acting president of Nigeria, Yemi Osinbajo ordered with immediate effect the Overhaul of the SARS Unit, following reports of the human right violation, After the Order, The IGP announced that the unit would be renamed to Federal Special Anti Robbery Squad, and a new head of the unit would be appointed to verify and investigate reports and made the Deputy Inspector Generals of Force Criminal Investigation Department are held accountable for the actions of the SARS units in each states.
The 2020 Campaign started after a young man was shot dead by a SARS police officer in front of the Wetland Hotel in Ughelli, Delta State. The video of the incident trended on the social media leading to a nationwide protest which has caught the Attention of social media influencers, celebrities and comedians. The twitter CEO, Jack Dorsey has unveiled a new ENDSARS emoji on the social networking platform carrying the colors of the Nigerian flag in October 16th,2020.
Currently the protest is still ongoing as there are five point agenda which goes as follows
- Release of arrested protesters
2.Justice for victims of police brutality
3.Prosecution of police ‘bad eggs’
4.Retraining of ex-SARS members
- Police salary increase.
We all hope it gets better and Justice is served
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