Lagos House of Assembly demands proscription of SARS

Lagos State House of Assembly Friday asked for the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) unit to be proscribed and demanded the formation of a new, well-structured unit.

The assembly also demanded protection for persons protesting against police brutality in the state.

The House also called on the Commissioner of Police in Lagos State, Hakeem Odumosu, to provide protection for the protesters while they express their grievances.

The call was made at an emergency sitting presided over by the Speaker of the House, Mudashiru Obasa, to address the petition of the protesters and add a voice to the current call across the nation for an end to the widely reported alleged inhuman activities of the body.

Obasa and some lawmakers on Thursday addressed some protesters at the House of Assembly demanding for an end to F-SARS.

Among the seven-point resolution passed after an extensive deliberation was also that the Senate and the House of Representatives should carry out a probe of the allegations against F-SARS including killing, maiming and dehumanising of Nigerians.

The Lagos State House of Assembly resolved that “the Commissioner of Police Lagos State should protect End-SARS Protesters in the state and ensure that they are not molested.

“The Commissioner of Police should stop unwarranted molestation of our youths by the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad otherwise known as F-SARS and its counterparts in the State.

“The Senate President and the Speaker of National Assembly should institute public enquiry on the extra-judicial activities, killings, maiming and dehumanization of our youths by the Anti- Robbery Squad ensure that the victims are duly compensated while erring officers sanctioned appropriately.

“SARS be proscribed and a new security outfit which will be more efficient with clearly spelt out code of conduct and rule of engagements be established while sanction is imposed for misdemeanour.”