TheCable

Sunday Dare, minister of youth and sports development, says the federal government will look into reports of harassment of young people by officers of the special anti-robbery squad (SARS).

There has been an outcry over the past years of assault on young persons by officers of the SARS unit of the Nigeria Police Force.

The reports birthed the #EndSARS movement, which gained popularity on social media in 2017.

Over the years, Nigerians have continued to share their tales of brutality by SARS, but on Saturday, the hashtag #EndSARS trended after a video of an alleged shooting of a man in Ughelli, Delta state, went viral.

In a statement issued on Saturday by John Joshua-Akanji, special assistant to the minister, Dare said he had been monitoring reports of the attacks by SARS, adding that relevant government agencies will investigate the incidents.

He assured the youth that his ministry would continue to protect their rights.

“The ministry of youth and sports is worried about the menace, increasing harassments and attacks by SARS, especially targeted at youths and other innocent members of the public, and brought it to the attention of the relevant security agencies in Abuja,” the statement read.

“The minister of youth and sports development, who has also been monitoring the reports of alleged SARS harassment and attacks, has called for immediate investigations that will unravel the truth.

“The ministry wishes to assure that this government, through relevant security agencies, will step into the matter to protect our youth and the fundament human rights of every Nigerian.”