Gbenro Adesina
The Oyo State House of Assembly on Wednesday October 14, 2020 condemned the killing of ENDSARS protesters across the country and the hasty setup of Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) Team as a replacement of the scrapped Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) by the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar Adamu.
The members of the Assembly, who called for immediate overhauling of the police to redeem its image, affirmed that it was high time the Federal Government decentralised police system thereby allowing state police.
This was part of the resolution taking today during the plenary session.
Speaking, the Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Adebo Ogundoyin said, “The Federal Government is too big. The power within and responsibility is too wide. Maintenance of federal roads, hospitals, agencies and other infrastructures are suffering because they are too big to handle. The exclusive list needs to be reconsidered. There is obvious need for restructuring”.
He, however, commended the Federal Government through the Inspector-General of Police for listening to the voice of Nigerian youths by scrapping SARS.
Ogundoyin was outraged about the attitude of SARS over the years saying, “SARS officer should be a united force to face armed robbers and other tactical operations that can put lives of citizens in jeopardy by men of the underworld. Unfortunately, Nigerians are more scared of the SARS than even armed robbers. The major problem of the youths with default SARS officers is consistent wrong profiling. When I was younger, I had access to exotic cars, maybe because of the privilege I had, and that did not make me or other legitimate young entrepreneurs or professionals out there fraudsters. As lawmakers, we may have different positions or opinions about SARS, but we have to consider the demand of the people. They have given us the mandate and we have to represent and protect their interest absolutely”.
“Many people have lost their lives to SARS. Many were molested and extorted. Even as a speaker, I and other honourables have had encounter with SARS and if not for the maturity we displayed, the encounter would have been a different story”, he added.
