Insecurity: ‘SARS were useful in Northern States’ – Lalong

NEWSMAN, Abuja – Plateau State Governor, Simon Lalong, has said Northern states were not against the dissolved Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) unit of the Nigeria Police Force as they had been useful in the fight against insecurity in the North.
Lalong, who is the Chairman of the Northern States Governors Forum, stated this on Thursday during an interview with State House correspondents after briefing President Muhammadu Buhari on the security situation in the north as well as the upcoming National Festival of Arts and Culture (NAFEST).
“SARS is not made up of bad elements alone as it also includes personnel who are doing their work diligently,” he said.
Lalong said what is needed is the reformation of the unit to enable it to discharge its functions “optimally”.
Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Adamu, had on Sunday disbanded SARS following nationwide protests against alleged human rights violations by the unit.
But the protests continued as the #EndSARS campaigners demand the prosecution of all officers named in cases of rights abuses.
The police leadership has promised reforms, setting up a new unit named Special Weapons And Tactics (SWAT).