ABUJA/Nigeria: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Chieftain, Chief Sunny Onuesoke has reiterated that Acting President Yemi Osibanjo sack of Director General of the Department of State Security (DSS) Lawal Daura and instruction to Inspector General of Police (IGP) Ibrahim Idris to overhaul Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) has expose the rots in Nigeria security agencies.
Onuesoke who made the observation while addressing newsmen in Abuja said Osibanjo’s action was long overdue disclosed, stressing that the activities of this two security agencies has got to a stage that Nigerians began to wonder if they were initiated to protect the citizenry or to make life more difficult for them.
He recounted how officers of both agencies became so power drunk by exhibiting excess recklessness, brutality, uncivilized and unruly behaviour in dealing with members of the public.
Onuesoke described the security personnel as having no regard for human rights with extortion as their stock-in-trade, adding that their esprit de corps manifests well when any one of them gets exposed for illegal activities.
“For instance, the way and manner the police barricaded the homes of both Senate President and his Deputy or the way SARS invaded the premises of the Senate is a sign that Nigeria security agencies do not have respect for our democratic principles. If they can handle such people with pinch of salt or invade the Senate with ignominy, it is a revelation that the common man on the street has been suffering in silent in their hands. In Nigeria, all uniform officers are always overreaching themselves. It is a country where uniform is an express licence for lawlessness,” he stated.
Onuesoke disclosed that there have been series of complaints on how SARS, DSS or other security agencies violation of human rights was becoming unbearable, adding that in a report published on September 21, 2016, Amnesty International detailed how these operatives systematically torture detainees to extract confessions and obtain lucrative bribes from them.
He added that the torture methods they employ include hanging, starvation, beatings, shootings and mock executions.
In order to bring sanity to SARS, DSS and other security agaencies in the country, Onuesoke advised that Nigerians expect a template or code of operations of the security agencies which would incorporate substantial respect for human rights, compliance with court orders, submission to criminal procedure of respective environment, adding that if this is not done, Nigerians would interpret Osibanjo’s action as a white sepulchre
