The Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, had on Sunday banned the personnel of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS) and other Tactical Squads of the Force from embarking on routine patrols.
Following this directive, here are 10 things you need to know about the IGP’s position on F-SARS.
- The IGP has banned FSARS, STS, and IRT from routine patrol on the streets.
- The IGP has also banned FSARS, STS, and IRT from conventional low-risk duties, stop and search, checkpoints, roadblock, and traffic checks with immediate effect.
- He has warned that no police officer including personnel from FSARS, STS, IRT is authorised to embark on patrol or tactical assignment on mufti.
- The IGP has directed that the FSARS, STS, IRT personnel must appear in their police uniforms or approved tactical gear while on official assignment.
- He has also banned the indiscriminate and unauthorised search of phones and laptops and other smart devices.
- FSARS and other tactical squads must concentrate and respond only to cases of armed robbery, kidnapping, and other violent crimes when the cases arise.
- The X-Squad and the Monitoring Unit are to monitor and arrest the erring personnel of FSARS and other policemen on the road.
- The CP in charge of FSARS, the CPs in charge of State Commands and FCT, as well as their supervisory Zonal AIGs, will be held liable of misconduct of FSARS personnel and others within their jurisdiction.
- Affected AIGs and CPs are to ensure the effective supervision of FSARS personnel and others within their jurisdiction.
- Finally, the IGP has appealed to citizens not to allow the misconduct by a few personnel of the force to negatively impact on their confidence and trust in the police.
