A retired senior police officer who is the brain behind the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, Fulani Kwajafa, has regretted creating the unit.
Recall that President Muhammadu Buhari had on Sunday ordered the disbandment of the SARS unit of the Nigeria Police Force, following a series of brutality and human rights abuse by the operatives of the squad.
Speaking in an interview with BBC Hausa service on Thursday, Mr Kwajafa lamented that what pains him more was the fact the unit would be remembered as his brainchild.
He said: “In fact, I feel ashamed of being the genesis of this body. They are more like dictators now; brutal. If I had known that it would turn out like this, I wouldn’t have established it because the people that know the genesis of SARS would always say it is Kwajafa’s brainchild,” he said.
The retired officer recalled that the unit was established in 1984 during President Muhammadu Buhari’s military regime when Etim lnyang was the then IGP.
According to him, the police unit was created to bring an end to hitherto incessant armed robbery which was terrorizing the country.
Mr Kwajafa said: “Receiving the IGP’s order on the establishment of a professional person’s team, I formed the SARS squad, and thereafter, the IGP allocated money for purchase of weapons for the team.”
Lamenting about the SARS conduct, Mr Kwajafa said: “It baffles me that someone would commit a crime and you [SARS] would kill him straight up.
“That is why we have the judiciary. Nobody will ask any personnel to kill an armed robber or any one that looks like that.”
