Yemi Osinbajo, the Vice President of Nigeria, has expressed ‘anger’ at the activities of police officers who harass, assault and sometimes kill innocent Nigerians.
Mr Osinbajo stated this Sunday when questioned by journalists in Abuja, according to his spokesperson, Laolu Akande, in a statement.
“I am very concerned, in fact, very angry about what I see, happening to young men and women who are arrested, in some cases maimed or killed by men of the police force,” Mr Osinbajo was quoted as saying.
Mr Osinbajo’s reaction was announced hours after the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, banned some police units from operating on the roads following public outcry of their activities.
PREMIUM TIMES reported how Nigerians lamented the activities of the police unit, FSARS, using the #EndSARS code on social media.
Many young Nigerians recounted their sad experiences in the hands of the police unit.
In his statement Sunday, Mr Osinbajo wowed that culpable police officers will be punished and prosecuted.
IGP Bans FSARS Operatives From ‘Routine’ Patrols, ‘Stop And Search’ Duties
In the meantime, Mohammed Adamu, the Inspector-General of Police, has banned the personnel of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad from routine patrols.
He also banned and other Tactical Squads of the Force including the Special Tactical Squad, Intelligence Response Team, Anti-Cultism Squad and other Tactical Squads operating at the Federal, Zonal, and Command levels, from carrying out routine patrols.
They were also banned from conducting other conventional low-risk duties – stop and search duties, checkpoints, mounting of roadblocks, traffic checks, etc – with immediate effect.
In addition, no personnel of the Force is authorised to embark on patrols or tactical assignments in mufti.
