#EndSARS: Buhari Has Failed to Reform Police – Amnesty International
– Amnesty International (AI) slams President Muhamamdu Buhari over failure to address Police reform.
– Amnesty International (AI) accuses Police of stealing from suspects.
Amnesty International (AI) has lambasted the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), for allegedly killing Kolade Johnson, who was shot dead while leaving a football viewing centre on Olu Aboderin Street, Iyana Ipaja, Lagos, on Sunday.
iDONSABI reports that Johnson was killed by a trigger happy Policeman when an unmarked commercial bus visited Mangoro/Onipetesi community in Lagos, on Sunday afternoon in search of youths dressed inappropriately and wearing dreadlocks.
While stating that the call to scrap SARS and reform the police had not been taking seriously, AI said efforts put in place by the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government had failed even as it blamed the judiciary for failing to punish police torture.
According got the organisation, SARS continues to use torture to extract confessions from suspects, adding that the police unit seems not to be accountable to anyone.
Read Amnesty International’s series of tweets below:
Once again SARS is in the news for alleged brutalization of Nigerians. We have several times called for #EndSARS
— Amnesty Int. Nigeria (@AmnestyNigeria) April 1, 2019
SARS is a police unit created to protect the people, instead it has become a danger to society, torturing its victims with complete impunity while fomenting a toxic climate of fear and corruption. #EndSARS @PoliceNG @MBuhari
— Amnesty Int. Nigeria (@AmnestyNigeria) April 1, 2019
Our research since 2016 uncovered a pattern of ruthless human rights violations by SARS, where victims are arrested and tortured until they either make a ‘confession’ or pay officers a bribe to be released. #EndSARS @PoliceNG @MBuhari
— Amnesty Int. Nigeria (@AmnestyNigeria) April 1, 2019
Apart from brutality, some police officers in SARS regularly demand bribes, steal and extort money from criminal suspects and their families. SARS officers are getting rich through their brutality. In Nigeria, it seems that torture is a lucrative business. #EndSARS @PoliceNG
— Amnesty Int. Nigeria (@AmnestyNigeria) April 1, 2019
Because of corruption SARS officers believe they have carte blanche to torture Nigerians. This is hardly surprising when many of these officers have bribed their way to SARS in the first place. The police chiefs in charge are themselves entwined in the corruption. #EndSARS
— Amnesty Int. Nigeria (@AmnestyNigeria) April 1, 2019
Because of corruption SARS officers believe they have carte blanche to torture Nigerians. This is hardly surprising when many of these officers have bribed their way to SARS in the first place. The police chiefs in charge are themselves entwined in the corruption. #EndSARS
— Amnesty Int. Nigeria (@AmnestyNigeria) April 1, 2019
Apart from demanding bribes, SARS officers have been accused of stealing or confiscating property from relatives of detained suspects. Some family members told Amnesty International that SARS officers stole their cars or withdrew all the money from their bank accounts. #EndSARS
— Amnesty Int. Nigeria (@AmnestyNigeria) April 1, 2019
The majority of the victims of torture in SARS custody are poor and unable to hire legal representatives. In some cases when detainees cannot afford to pay bribes, they are simply tortured more. #EndSARS @PoliceNG @MBuhari @ProfOsinbajo @UN @bukolasaraki @AminaJMohammed
— Amnesty Int. Nigeria (@AmnestyNigeria) April 1, 2019
Despite repeated calls from Amnesty International in recent years, the Nigerian justice system has failed to prevent or punish torture. Despite @MBuhari signing into law the Anti-Torture Bill @PoliceNG torture Nigerians with impunity. #EndSARS
— Amnesty Int. Nigeria (@AmnestyNigeria) April 1, 2019
Police torture is a stain on Nigerian society that must be addressed with clear orders to law enforcement officers not to inflict torture or other ill-treatment on detainees under any circumstances. #EndSARS @MBuhari @PoliceNG @ProfOsinbajo @UN
— Amnesty Int. Nigeria (@AmnestyNigeria) April 1, 2019
Many attempts to reform SARS, including the one ordered by @ProfOsinbajo in August last year have been ineffective. Nigerians are still brutalized by SARS. Restructuring SARS is not enough unless the government takes concrete steps to protect Nigerians.@PoliceNG #EndSARS
— Amnesty Int. Nigeria (@AmnestyNigeria) April 1, 2019
Victims of SARS told Amnesty International that they had been subjected to horrific torture methods, including hanging, starvation, beatings, shootings and mock executions. SARS officers are notoriously corrupt & brutal.@MBuhari @ProfOsinbajo @PoliceNG_CRU @PoliceNG #EndSARS
— Amnesty Int. Nigeria (@AmnestyNigeria) April 1, 2019
Amnesty International found that in some cases where victims of police corruption & brutality attempted to seek justice, the police authorities took no action. @PoliceNG @ProfOsinbajo @PoliceNG_CRU @UN
— Amnesty Int. Nigeria (@AmnestyNigeria) April 1, 2019
In Nigeria @PoliceNG being posted to SARS is often regarded as a “juicy” posting and is preceded by intense lobbying by potential officers. Officers sometimes pay superior officers responsible for transfers as much as N300,000 to influence their posting to SARS. #EndSARS
— Amnesty Int. Nigeria (@AmnestyNigeria) April 1, 2019
Despite years of numerous petitions from Nigerian and international human rights organizations to the police authorities, there is no indication that any SARS officers have been punished specifically for torturing detainees or extrajudicial killings. @PoliceNG #EndSARS
— Amnesty Int. Nigeria (@AmnestyNigeria) April 1, 2019
Despite years of numerous petitions from Nigerian and international human rights organizations to the police authorities, there is no indication that any SARS officers have been punished specifically for torturing detainees or extrajudicial killings. @PoliceNG #EndSARS
— Amnesty Int. Nigeria (@AmnestyNigeria) April 1, 2019
The internal police mechanisms in Nigeria are weak. Police lacks an effective database on complaints and discipline management. The police complaint management system is generally inaccessible, ineffective, and does not enjoy the confidence of the public. #EndSARS
— Amnesty Int. Nigeria (@AmnestyNigeria) April 1, 2019
SARS officers routinely fail to bring suspects before a court within 24 to 48 hours as prescribed under the Constitution. Many are held for longer periods sometimes up to ten months. #EndPolicebrutality #ENDSARS
— Amnesty Int. Nigeria (@AmnestyNigeria) April 1, 2019
SARS often stole from suspects; “The officers forcefully broke into boxes, locked furniture and drawers. We were not allowed to witness the searching of the house. By the time they left, several items, including watches, jewellery and
shoes, were missing.” -a victim said— Amnesty Int. Nigeria (@AmnestyNigeria) April 1, 2019
In 2014 we issued a report “Welcome To Hell Fire” on torture by Nigeria’s security forces. In 2016 we issued a report “You Have Signed Your Death Warrant” on SARS. Both reports called on govt. to end police brutality. But nothing changed up to now. #EndPoliceBrutality #EndSARS
— Amnesty Int. Nigeria (@AmnestyNigeria) April 1, 2019
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Policing in Nigeria is plagued by systemic problems ranging from poor training and equipment to endemic corruption and a lack of accountability. #EndSARS #EndPolicebrutality
— Amnesty Int. Nigeria (@AmnestyNigeria) April 1, 2019
Amnesty International found that torture is such a routine and systemic part of policing that many police sections in various states, including the SARS and CID, use designated ‘torture chambers’: special interrogation rooms commonly used for torturing suspects. #EndSARS #Nigeria
— Amnesty Int. Nigeria (@AmnestyNigeria) April 1, 2019