A member of the UK Parliament, Kate Osamor, has written the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, Dominic Raab, over financial and training supports extended to the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad of the Nigeria Police Force.
The Punch reports, In a letter dated October 15, 2020 , Osamor, who represents Edmonton, questioned the rationale behind the funding of the dreaded SARS.
Osamor, who is also the Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Nigeria, stated that the now-defunct police unit has been involved in no fewer than 82 cases of torture, ill-treatment and extra-judicial killings since January 2017.
Her letter read, “I’m writing as a member of the International Development Select Committee and Chair of the Nigeria APPG to ask for some clarification regarding the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund project in Nigeria which is aimed at ‘increasing the capacity of Nigerian kidnap units to deliver anti-kidnap and kidnap response capacity’.
“I’m sure you will be aware of the recent protests against Nigeria’s Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), which has been involved in at least 82 cases of torture, ill-treatment and extra-judicial execution since January 2017.
“Given these concerns and concerns generally with the nature of corruption and brutality in Nigerian law enforcement, it is obviously extremely important that no UK development spending finds its way into the pockets of groups within Nigeria who are guilty of such crimes.
