Ozoemena Nsugbe
The Men of the Federal Special Anti Robbery Squad have over the past months come under severe criticism from Nigerians who have taken to social media with the Hashtag #EndSars to speak against the ills of that group of policemen who have turned themselves to terrorists, unleashing terror and molestation on innocent citizens across the country.
In Megacities like Lagos, Abuja and Rivers State, in particular, the men of the F-SARS have conducted their operations in a manner similar to that of armed robbers. Mounting roadblocks with no name tags, driving private unidentified vehicles, dressing like cultists and Armed Robbers have become their mode of operation.
Young men who are seen to be doing well, because they drive flashy cars, use Good phones e.g iPhones have endangered species due to the excesses of these policemen who hurriedly tag these young men Yahoo Boys or criminals, extorting huge amounts of money and molesting them for failing to comply.
Yesterday , the SSA to Governor Nyesom Wike on New Media, Marshal Obuzor, was a victim of the madness and excesses of the men of the F-SARS along the popular Mandela car wash in the GRA Axis of Port Harcourt.
Marshal Obuzor was flagged down by these men and was summarily accused of Armed Robbery, brutally beaten and flogged with a machete despite identifying himself as an aide to the Governor.
It took the intervention of the Commissioner for Special Duties, Emeka Onowu who mobilized to the scene to contain the situation and rescue the aide to the Governor.
Marshal Obuzor’s attack is not the first and might certainly not be the last that young men working and doing business in Port Harcourt might face from Akin Fakorede’s men.
Two days ago, a Port Harcourt resident, Chris Martin, took to his Facebook page to narrate how men of the F-SARS molested and extorted his brother in Port Harcourt, a UK resident and lecturer at the Bournemouth University by tagging him a Yahoo boy. His offence is that he looked young, had beards and was driving a flashy car despite pleas and him identifying himself.
The implication of these actions by the F-SARS is that a war has been declared on young men working and doing business in Rivers State.
This calls for sincere inquiries into the kind of training these F-SARS officers are receiving from the police command that enable them to see young men with legitimate sources of income as criminals simply because they drive flashy cars and use good phones.
The Nigerian Police force is meant to protect the lives and properties of citizens and not extort, molest, maim and kill them.
Akin Fakorede, the commander of the F-SARS, needs to call his men to Order and save his already dwindling reputation for being the head of a group of bad Cops in Rivers State.
Akin Fakorede as a matter of morality and one who took an oath under the Federal Republic of Nigeria needs to purge the F-SARS of criminal elements who are terrorizing citizens of Rivers State.
Actions of this F-SARS if left unattended to, can lead to a civil unrest against police officers.
I end with words from Ijeoma Oluo “I know that it is hard to believe that people who you look to for safety and security are the same people who are causing us so much harm. But I’m not lying and I’m not delusional. I am scared and I am hurting and we are dying. And I really, really need you to believe me.”
