The Anambra State House of Assembly has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to direct the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, to execute urgent and total reform of the police to end the ongoing protest in the country.
The resolution followed a motion raised by Mr Nonso Okafor (Nnewi North) under matters of urgent public importance at plenary on Thursday.
Okafor, reacting to the disbandment of the Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS) by IGP Adamu, said that the Nigeria Police required a total re-organisation of its structure and not a name change of the anti-robbery unit.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the IG had replaced the scrapped Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS) with the Special Weapons and Tactics Team (SWAT).
Okafor said, “The Nigerian youth are angry and unhappy with the incessant police brutality, exploitation and activities of SARS, and this necessitated the ongoing protest across the country.
“President Buhari needs to urgently pacify the youths and address their demands with regards to police reforms to put an end to the protest before it escalates into something we will not be able to handle as a nation.
“The security outfit needs improved funding and reforms that will make them more efficient and professional in discharging their duties.
‘’I believe that this will go a long way to curtail some of their excesses of overstepping their scope of duties.”
Also speaking, Dr Tim Ifedioranma (Njikoka I) called for a psychological evaluation of every police officer in the country.
According to Ifedioranma, it is sad to note that the policemen act contrary to their mandate which is to protect civilians and ensure law and order in the society.
“Solving this problem is not about changing the name from SARS to SWAT, it requires reorientation, psychological evaluation of every police officer and structural reform of the system,” he said.
Contributing, Mr Ejike Okechukwu (Anaocha II) said that the #EndSARS protest could get out of hand if nothing was done urgently to end it.
“This protest needs to be seen as a strong signal to not only address the poor state of the economy, but to priortise the issues concerning the young people in the country, “he said.
While condemning police brutality in the country, the Deputy Speaker of the House, Dr Pascal Agbodike, who presided over the plenary, urged the youth to remain calm and not to resort to violence. (NAN)
