End SARS
The End Special Anti-Robbery Squad is an advocacy group opposing the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, a unit of the Nigerian Police Force. The campaign started as a social media campaign using the hashtag #ENDSARS to demand for Nigeria's government to scrap and end the deployment of Nigeria Police Force Special Anti-Robbery Squad, popularly known as SARS.
Nigerians have shared stories of how members of SARS engaged in unlawful arrests, high-handedness, humiliation, unlawful detention, and extortion. A petition signed by 10,195 people was submitted to Nigeria's National Assembly calling for scrapping of SARS. In recent times, there has been talk of reforms of the force, instead of full disbandment.Protests and controversy
Moving the campaign from social media to the streets of Nigeria, the campaigners organized series of protests in Abuja, The campaigners threatened to go on protest if the government fails to scrap SARS.
The campaign generated controversies when the Nigeria Police Force Public Relations Officer Jimoh Moshood, accused the campaigners of being "criminals". The Inspector General of Nigeria Police Force, Ibrahim K. Idris has ordered the reform and reorganization of SARS.
Nigeria's Senate backed the call for scrapping SARS.Background
SARS is a branch of the Nigeria Police Force under the Force Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department. The squad deals with crimes associated with armed robbery, car snatching, kidnapping, cattle rustling, and crimes associated to firearms. SARS officers carry guns, but do not wear Nigerian police uniforms, nor do they wear badges.
An international human right organization known as Amnesty International accused the officers of SARS of detaining young Nigerians illegally and extorting money from their relations.
