A Northern youth group, Arewa Youths Consultative Forum, AYCF have voiced out against the call to disband the police unit of Federal Special Anti-
A Northern youth group, Arewa Youths Consultative Forum, AYCF have voiced out against the call to disband the police unit of Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARs over their unlawful action. The group is asking that rather than disband the group, they should be reformed. The body said scrapping SARS will increase insecurity in the already insecure Northern Nigeria. This was stated in a communique signed by Muhammad Ibrahim, National Director of Media and Communications (AYCC).
The letter reads, “Your Excellency Sir, on behalf of the millions of Youths of Northern Nigeria; most of whom may not have a voice to be heard, we write to reaffirm our support for the Special Anti Robbery Squad, even though there are calls from some Nigerians to end the operations of SARS, we as a deep-rooted body of concerned Nigerians with critical thought and sharp foresight, we disagree with those calls, protests and urgently demand the government to disregard such unpatriotic, reckless and callous calls.
“Your Excellency Sir, we must not forget that SARS is a branch of the Nigerian Police Force under the Force Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, there are tactical ways and public relations guidelines that will be build and be maintained for proper operations, work on that, not scrap them. Your Excellency Sir, it is important to always remember that SARS deals with crimes associated with armed robbery, car snatching, kidnapping, cattle rustling, and crimes associated with firearms which are the ‘hearts of insecurity’ in Nigeria and especially Northern States, as such; we can’t just sit and watch others calling for scrapping a unit that’s almost the fastest option for our security in Northern Nigeria.
“Your Excellency sir, the ENDSARS campaign is basically capitalizing on the humane mistakes of some officers of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad; instead of weighing and appreciating the other positive sides of the unit especially as the only unit in the Nigerian Police Force, that’s more exposed to dangerous encounters. How can people demand that the Nigerian government to scrap and end the deployment of Special Anti-Robbery Squad when we are already battling with chronic kidnapping, robbery, banditry, rustling, and genocide?
“If we end SARS then what are we getting better than SARS? If the existing force cannot be reformed, how sure are we that scrapping them will not create bigger threats to our collective survival?. Your Excellency Sir, some officers of the SARS may be accused of theft, rape, torture, unlawful arrests, and even killings, no law enforcement agency is 100% clean or ever appraised by the people. If we must be rational and highly reasonable, instead of scrapping SARS to end up with security deterioration and waste of Billions to set up and train another unit, why don’t we ‘chew the bitter pills and spit out the waste’ while redesigning a structural strategy for effectiveness, resourcefulness, and efficiency to serve Nigerians better?
“Your Excellency sir, social media handlers, propagandists, celebrities, and protesters in the South may be relying on a petition against SARS signed by 10,195 people, those people cannot be compared to the silent voices of the Millions majority of those that are not in support of demolishing SARS as a security structure. One thing we must not forget in Nigeria, few loudest people always take advantage of the majority of the silent millions, in this case; it is a matter of life and death, manageable security, and the possible tendency of insecurity if we allow a scrap of SARS to happen.
“Your Excellency sir, Kindly have a deep, critical, and sober thought over this issue, let us not allow the calls of the campaigners both in social media, Abuja, Lagos, Ibadan, Osun, Benin, Delta, llorin, and Owerri to influence a decision that will affect about 150 million people in more than 24 states. In conclusion, as progressive partners of Arewa and Nigeria’s peace, stability and development, we maintained that those calling for scrapping SARS are biased, sectional and are only protesting in the interest of a microscopic few at the detriment of the powerful majority.
“Whoever is injecting much energy, resources, and publicity in this Campaign against the Special Anti Robbery Squad may be a beneficiary in criminal activity, be it Internet Scam, arms dealing, open or hidden smuggling, buying or selling stolen properties, child trafficking, body parts deals, drugs, and other dirty works; which is simply why they feel SARS must be systematically protested. If truly Nigerians should protest seriously, it should be on general issues related to governance, Educational strikes, insecurity, etc.
“Kindly accept our highest regards. Thank you.”
