The Police High Command on Thursday dismissed the speculation making the rounds that the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Usman Alkali Baba, has ordered the immediate reinstatement of the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Special Squad (SARS) of the Nigeria Police Force.
According to a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja by the Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), CP Frank Mba, the IGP said “SARS is gone for good.”
According to the statement, while describing the report as false and misleading, the IGP called on the members of the public to disregard the report which “is absolutely false and deliberately intended to disinform and misinform members of the public.”
The statement reads: “The attention of the Nigeria Police Force has been drawn to a false news report making the rounds online and offline suggesting that the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Usman Alkali Baba, has ordered the re-establishment of the defunct Special Anti – Robbery Squad (SARS).
“The force wishes to categorically emphasize 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
“The IGP notes that the Force has since reorganized its operational structure to fill the vacuum created by the disbandment of SARS.
“Currently, the leadership of the Force is focused on efforts at deepening reforms within the Police and bequeathing Nigerians a Police Force that will be more effective, efficient, technology-driven, humane and Rule of Law-compliant
“The IGP, therefore, calls on members of the public to disregard the report which is absolutely false and deliberately intended to disinform and misinform members of the public.”
Some online media platforms had reported that the IGP had ordered the immediate reinstatement of the disbanded dreaded SARS with a new code of operations.
