By Umar Bayo Abdulwahab
Ilorin
Kwara state Police Commissioner, Lawan Ado and Etsu Patigi, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar yesterday insisted on retaining the Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS) outfit of the Nigeria Police Force.
They however supported the reorganisation of the outfit as directed by the Inspector General of Police, IGP Ibrahim Idris Kpotum.
There has been clamour in some quarters for the scrapping of the unit on the ground that it has been abused by operatives.
The duo spoke this in Ilorin, the Kwara state capital during an interactive session between the police and eminent people’s forum
The commissioner of police said: “Recently, this issue of Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS) must be disbanded has occupied public domain. But some members of the public are supporting the SARS must-stay chorus. The country cannot operate without an outfit that is combat ready and waiting to go and fight in case of any distress call.
“That is why SARS is very good. We are all aware that the Inspector General of Police has directed the reorganisation of that outfit. All steps will be taken to ensure that all the bad eggs there are uprooted and members of the outfit will continue to work professionally for us to achieve set out goals.”
Represented by Mutawali of Patigi, Alhaji Dabarako Mohammed, the Etsu Patigi on his part said: “I am personally of the opinion that SARS should stay and be encouraged. I therefore suggest regular training and refresher courses for the police especially the junior officers.”
Speaking on the motive behind the meeting, which he said would be quarterly from 2018, the commissioner said “we believe that police is working for the people; that is why we opened all channels of communications with members of the public. We equally identified the major problems bedevilling us in the state. Then we made efforts and strategies on how to solve them collectively.
“The most important thing now is the issue of collaboration and cooperation. The often say, police is your friend if you are a law-abiding person and you are concerned with the issue of security.”
