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SARS: FG Forcing Dictatorship On Rivers -AG …Obio/Akpor Evicts Anti-Robery Squad
Terror unleashed by men of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) in Rivers State has been described by the state Government as a subtle and gradual descent to dictatorship on Rivers people.
The state Commissioner for Justice and Attorney-General, Emma Aguma, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) made the assertion when he spoke on a live radio programme organised by Silverbird Communications in Port Harcourt, last Saturday.
Aguma decried the fact that on several occasions, the state government had petitioned the Federal Government on the activities of SARS without any positive response, saying that SARS’ activities amounted to a deliberate ploy to destabilize the state.
Rather than provide security for Rivers people, Aguma observed that SARS has become an instrument of crime and all sorts of anti-social activities, as they indiscriminately arrest innocent citizens and force charges on them.
He said, “All complaints made by the people have fallen on deaf ears. Recall that majority of the complaints and petitions raised by the people during the visit of the Presidential Panel was on SARS, not the Navy, not the Army”.
The attorney-general further accused the federal security outfit of extorting money from unsuspecting members of the public who were indiscriminately apprehended by SARS and falsely accused of committing crimes.
Aguma submitted that the activities of SARS have become a source of worry and concern to Rivers people because the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) and other relevant police authorities have failed to respond to the outcry of the government and people of the state, thereby making SARS more emboldened to commit atrocities in the state.
“The silence displayed by the Federal Government is deafening”, Aguma remarked, “Is it not about time that those involved act. The silence for us is acquiescence”.
The commissioner denied the claim that the state government was raising false alarm due to SARS’ refusal to be used as tool to hunt its critics.
Meanwhile, the authorities of Obio/Akpor Local Government Council in Rivers State, have given the embattled Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the Rivers State Police Command up till November 30, 2017, to vacate its headquarters located inside the Obio/Akpor International Market, Rukpokwu, near Port Harcourt or face eviction.
The council, in a quit notice dated October 18, 2017, and addressed to the Commander of SARS in the state, CSP Akin Fakorede, emphasised that it will take all available legal means to take possession of the property should the special security outfit fail or refuse to abide by the notice.
Copied in the letter, which was signed by the Legal Adviser to the council, Barrister Victor Owhonda, were the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris; and the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Zaki Ahmed; amongst others.
It reads in part, “I am directed by the Local Government Council to give you one month Notice to Vacate and deliver up possession of the premises/property of the Obio/Akpor International Market, Rukpokwu, which you presently occupy as a licensee thereof on or before 30th day of November, 2017.
“The directive is borne out of the council’s need to carry out major renovation works at the International Market, and put the said property, which you occupy into full use and purpose for which it was originally acquired and built.
“Take further notice that in the event you fail or refuse to abide by this notice, the council shall have no option but to use all available legal means to eject you therefrom and demand consequential damages,” the quit notice added.
Reacting to the eviction notice, which was also received same day by the SARS Commander, Akin Fakorede, and the state commissioner of police, the Rivers State Police Command insisted that the property occupied by the Special Anti-Robbery Squad within the premises of Obio/Akpor International Market at Rukpokwu was a police station.
Spokesman of the command, DSP Nnamdi Omoni, who confirmed the receipt of a copy of the letter, also said the property was serving its purpose as a police station, explaining that the police was not a tenant of the local government council in Rivers State.
He further disclosed that the legal arm of the police was studying the letter, and would advise the police high command appropriately.
According to him, “For what it is worth, we are not a tenant to Obio Akpor Local Government. They are not our landlords.
“That property was built to the specification of a police station and that is what it is being used for. That place is a police station.
“I have never seen where a police station is built and occupied and then some persons will say the police should vacate the place.
“Anyway, our lawyers are looking at that notice, and since it came from their legal adviser, we will respond appropriately,” Omoni added.
The Tide recalls that the frosty relationship between the Fakorede-led SARS and the Rivers State Government has been accentuated by the obvious refusal of the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris to redeploy the SARS commander, following various evidences of alleged crime and conspiracy to commit acts of criminality in the state.
The Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike had at several fora accused Fakorede of professional conduct dating back to the 2015 general elections when he was first accused of helping the All Progressives Congress (APC) rig the elections as well as the subsequent rerun elections in 2016 in the state.
However, the Police High Command has continued to defend Fakorede, insisting that he was professional in his conduct.
The Tide reports that the property was built and donated to the Rivers State Police Command as a police station to provide security cover to the market in 2012 during the tenure of the former Obio/Akpor Local Government Council Chairman, Timothy Nsirim.
Susan Serekara-Nwikhana & Markson Tamunobubeleye
Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, has called on Nigerians to reject silence in the face of extrajudicial killings and other abuses of human rights.
Soyinka stressed that accountability and civic courage remain essential to rebuilding public confidence in the nation’s institutions.
He made the call during the 28th Wole Soyinka Lecture held in Port Harcourt, last Friday as part of activities marking his 92nd birthday.
The lecture, themed “Reclaiming the Nigerian State through Accountability, Justice and Civic Courage,” drew participants from different sectors of society.
The renowned playwright and human rights advocate said the country’s greatest tragedy was not only the unlawful killings carried out by state and non-state actors, but also the silence that often follows such incidents, allowing perpetrators to evade justice.
According to him, indifference by citizens to abuses of power and violations of fundamental human rights has contributed to the persistence of extrajudicial killings and other forms of injustice across the country.
Soyinka said he dedicated this year’s lecture to victims of unlawful killings, noting that the event was intended to honour individuals who had lost their lives as a result of failures within the justice system and society’s inability to protect the sanctity of human life.
He stressed that the lecture was dedicated to what he described as the basic unit of every society – the human being, and urged Nigerians to place greater value on human dignity irrespective of ethnicity, religion or social status.
The Nobel Laureate recalled several incidents of violence, including the fatal shooting and killing of a young man in Ugheli in Delta State by a police officer, and the mob killing of Deborah Yakubu in Sokoto State sometime ago, lamenting that many of those responsible are yet to face justice.
He expressed concern that some perpetrators of violent crimes had openly admitted their actions without fear of prosecution, describing such situations as evidence of serious failures within the nation’s justice system.
Soyinka maintained that when justice is delayed or denied, public confidence in state institutions continues to erode, thereby encouraging further violations of human rights.
Responding to critics who accuse him of promoting religious or ethnic divisions whenever he spoke on such issues, Soyinka dismissed the allegations and pointed out that his advocacy has always centred on the protection of human life and the rule of law.
He urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and continue demanding justice in cases of alleged extrajudicial killings, including the recent shooting of a young man by a police officer, stressing that every life deserves equal protection under the law.
The literary icon also recalled an earlier pledge by a past incoming president to make public the files relating to unresolved assassinations and extrajudicial killings, questioning the status of the promised investigations.
He challenged citizens to continue asking questions about unresolved cases, insisting that justice, accountability and respect for human dignity are indispensable to building a peaceful, democratic and inclusive Nigerian society.
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has clarified that there was no fire at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, contrary to its earlier advisory.
Earlier yesterday, FAAN had announced that a fire incident had occurred at Terminal 2 of the nation’s busiest airport, and assured that its Aerodrome Rescue and Firefighting Service had been deployed to contain the situation.
There were also reports that activities were briefly disrupted at the airport yesterday after smoke was seen inside parts of the terminal.
Videos circulating online showed passengers kept standing outside the terminal while firefighters responded to the incident.
However, in an update issued less than two hours later by the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Henry Agbebire, and posted on FAAN’s official X handle, the authority said preliminary findings showed that the smoke seen at the terminal was caused by the discharge of the facility’s FM-200 fire suppression system.
“Further to our earlier advisory regarding the incident at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) wishes to provide the following update,” the statement read.
“Preliminary findings indicate that there was no fire at the terminal. The smoke observed within the affected area resulted from the discharge of the terminal’s FM-200 fire suppression system. The reason for the activation of the fire suppression system is currently being investigated,” FAAN stated.
The authority said normal operations had resumed at the terminal while investigations were ongoing to determine the cause of the incident.
“Normal operations have since resumed at the terminal, while detailed investigations are ongoing to determine the exact cause of the incident,” the statement added.
The authority thanked passengers, airlines, airport users and other stakeholders for their understanding and cooperation.
FAAN appreciated the understanding and cooperation of passengers, airlines, airport users and all stakeholders, and reiterated its commitment to the safety and security of all airport operations.