Again, RSG Seeks SARS Commander’s Removal

The Rivers State Government has again called on the Federal Government and the Police High Command to, without further delay; redeploy the Commander of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) in Rivers State, Akin Fakorode for promoting criminality and undermining the security architecture in the state.
The government also called on the international community to pay more attention to the activities of SARS in the state which was aimed at distracting government and as well as destroying the peace enjoyed in the state.
The state Commissioner for Information and Communications, Barrister Emma Okah, who made the call while speaking to Aviation Correspondents at the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa, noted that the SARS which Fakorede commands had been involved in series of crimes ranging from armed robbery to kidnapping.
Okah added that a mountain of evidence abound to indict the commander, in addition to his uncanny involvement in electoral crimes.
He said several efforts made by the state Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike to resolve the issue with the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris appeared to have hit the rock, as nothing has been done so far.
“As far as we are concerned in Rivers State, we believe that the police have not exhausted all goodness in our relationship with them. For us, we have drawn a line between governance and politics.
“As a state government, our responsibility is to support them, provide logistics, motivate them and give them all that they require to discharge their constitutional responsibilities, especially in protecting the lives of our people.
“The state government has done that repeatedly, and we lay claim to the fact that we are the best among the states in Nigeria in terms of supporting security agencies.
“However, we are disturbed that despite all the sacrifices we are making in supporting them, we have seen that the same police have been used against us in some cases.
“We have repeatedly raised alarm of a politician in the All Progressives Congress (APC) who is in SARS, Mr. Akin Fakorede. We have said repeatedly that instead of fighting crime, he is promoting crime.
“The squad, which he is leading, is operating in a manner offensive to the rights of our people.
“There is need for him to be transferred so that there will be peace in the state. There are gross of human rights abuses, and other criminal activities perpetuated and being reported with evidence about the squad he is leading”, Okah said.
The commissioner, however, maintained that the state government will continue to support the police and other security agencies in the state to maintain security.

Corlins Walter