Nigerian youth and SARS harassment

The Special Anti-Robbery Squad popularly known as SARS was a Nigerian Police Force unit that was founded in late 1992. SARS was actually created to deal with crimes such as kidnapping, robbery, motor vehicle theft and even firearms. These crimes were rampant in the country and there was an urgent need for the creation of […]

The Special Anti-Robbery Squad popularly known as SARS was a Nigerian Police Force unit that was founded in late 1992.

SARS was actually created to deal with crimes such as kidnapping, robbery, motor vehicle theft and even firearms. These crimes were rampant in the country and there was an urgent need for the creation of SARS to help protect the lives and properties of citizens thereby ensuring a safe environment for Nigerians to live in.

Thinking of the fact that SARS had the duty of assisting in the protection of the lives of citizens in the country but ended up taking these same lives they were meant to protect is so sad. They were linked to killings, extortion, torture and even blackmail. I must say that the creation of SARS actually did more harm than good to our country especially to our youths. They usually stand on the roads just to harass our youths. They stop innocent people and scroll through their phones thereby invading their privacy, asking irrelevant questions and they even go as far as killing them. They believe every youth who carries a dreadlock, drives a flashy car or even moves around with his/her laptop is a ‘yahoo boy or girl’ (i.e. a name for criminals or fraudulent persons). Worse still, they stop people because of their mode of dressing, which is absurd. Most times they embarrass, beat, and seize their items or even take them to their offices and don’t release them until they are given money.

Our youths have really suffered in the hands of these policemen who ordinarily should be their friends and protect them. I recall that sometime in 2018 they harassed my brother in Lagos while he was waiting to catch a taxi. They stopped him for no good reason. They embarrassed him, went through his phone, asked irrelevant questions and even went as far as forcing him into their van. This is what many of our young ones suffer and go through on daily basis. The youths have endured for too long because they have been brutalised, harassed, embarrassed, suffered a violation of their human rights and killed.

In 2018 also, there was an outcry over the brutality of SARS and the then Acting President,  Professor Yemi Osinbanjo directed the then IGP to overhaul the activities of SARS, which saw its renaming to Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS) and yet there was no change in behaviour.

As we all know, after days of serious EndSARS protest by our youths, the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Adamu disbanded FSARS and set up Special Weapons and Tactics  (SWAT) team to replace it. This is exactly what we need; a responsive government whose utmost priority should be to protect the lives of its citizens.

As a Nigerian youth, I am very proud of who we are and what we stand for. We have stood together and raised our voices and I believe we should be heard.

Lives are so precious and they should be preserved because they matter.

Miss Susan Chioma Obasi [email protected]