Lawyer and rights activists, Femi Falana has weighed in on the recent discourse on personnel of the Special Anti-robbery Squad (SARS).

Falana said the police unit is already becoming a problem even for the Nigeria Police Force.

He said this when he featured on a Channels TV programme.

What Falana said:

• He said the demonstration against SARS by Nigerians should be encouraged.
• Falana added that the law has taken care of the concerns of Nigerians as regards SARS.

“Any demonstration by Nigerians against any perceived injustice should be encouraged,” he said.

“But as far as I am concerned, with due respect to those protesting against SARS and calling for its proscription, while their efforts are commendable, they must be made to appreciate the fact that the law has taken care of all their concerns.

“What we are therefore required to do is to ensure that the laws are enforced.

“The operatives of SARS are becoming a problem, even for the police force.”

Many suspects are extra-judicially killed:

Falana added that he conducted a study about crime in Nigeria and found “to my utter dismay that 532 people were paraded by the police; armed robbery and kidnap suspects, in all the states and the FCT”.

“At the end of the day, I asked the police, can we know the courts were these individuals are being tried. But I didn’t get a reply,” he added.

“And my finding was to the effect that most of them were extra-judicially killed in this country.

“I do not know when last I witnessed the trial of an armed robbery suspect in any of our courts till today. No trial takes place; they are simply wasted.”

Why it matters:

There have been tales of suspects rotting in prisons across the country for years, without appearing in court.

Falana’s study may have also confirmed allegations that some prisoners are usually killed.