TheCable

Mike Okiro, former inspector general of police, says the federal government should not succumb to the calls to scrap the special anti-robbery squad (SARS).

Okiro said although SARS has deviated from the reason it was established, the unit still has a role to play.

Daily Trust quoted him as making the comment on Tuesday.

He said: “We formed the special anti-robbery squad (SARS) way back in 1991 when the notorious Shina Rambo was rampaging in Lagos and the whole of the south-west snatching cars among others, so, we formed SARS to contain the effect of robbery and car snatching,” he said.

“Like I have said before, they deviated from the raison d’être by moving away from confronting armed robbery, car snatching and kidnapping and getting involved in mundane cases such as cases of bank cheques, land disputes and cases involving families.

“This is not what they were supposed to do. Rather, they were supposed to make a mark and go back to the office.

“They (SARS) should go back to the reasons why they were created.

“I advocated that they should not be scrapped. Government should not succumb to the ENDSARS protest because they have a role to play.

“As far as criminality is in the society, there should be an agency that should confront it.

“Let us go with what the presidency has done. They should review their activities.”