Hakeem Odumosu, the Commissioner of Police for Lagos State, Nigeria’s commercial capital, today met with the Area Commanders, and Heads of security department over the ongoing #ENDSARS protest.
Odumosu urged officers and men of the force to be calm, professional and avoid unnecessary confrontation that can trigger crisis in Lagos.
Speaking on the killings in Surulere area of Lagos, during the protest on Monday, the Commissioner of Police assured Lagosians that proper investigation will be instituted and anyone found guilty will be brought to book.
Odumosu’s meeting with top police bosses in Lagos comes a day after the country’s Inspector General of Police, M.A. Adamu announced the replacement of the dissolved Special Anit-robbery Squad (SARS), with a new police unit called Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) Team that will fill the void left behind from the dissolution of the now defunct SARS.
In a press statement issued by the Force Public relations officer, DCP Frank Mba, the IGP said Prospective members of this new team will undergo psychological and medical examination to ascertain their fitness and eligibility for the new assignment.
Nigerian youths on the other hand say they are still not satisfied with the changes and development being promised by the Nigerian Police and the Federal Government as protesters still came out in large number despite heavy downpour.
Umbrellas and raincoats were distributed amongst the protesters as they carried signs with the hashtag #endsars and #sarsmustgo. Notable Nigerian artistes and celebrities home and abroad have identified with the protest which has now gained international attention.
SARS, which stands for Special Anti-Robbery Squad, is a unit of the Criminal Investigations Department under the Nigerian Police Force. Over the years, the unit has been accused of committing several offences such as harassment, extortion, brutalization, unlawful arrests and abduction, armed robbery, as well as extrajudicial killings.