#EndSARS: Anti-Robbery Squad officials fingered in assault, death of another man

Angered by the man's refusal and the fact that he demanded that his rights be respected, the operatives reportedly attacked him, beating him mercilessly.

Operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad have once again been fingered in the assault and eventual death of a man in the Ogba area of the state.

According to the reports, the incident that occurred today, Tuesday, April 10, saw the victim come out of a restaurant located at Haruna Bus Stop when he was accosted by FSARS officials.

ALSO READ: Woman expecting quadruplet allegedly loses pregnancy following SARS assault

 

The officers reportedly demanded to see the victim's phone, a request the young man turned down.

Angered by his refusal and the fact that he demanded that his rights be respected, the operatives reportedly attacked him, beating him mercilessly.

A video showing the SARS officers beating the young man has since gone viral.

See for yourself below:

 

WuzupNigeria reports that the young man has been reported dead from the injuries he sustained during the assault.

A witness recounting the incident said, “They demanded to see his phone, which he refused. The next thing was them harassing him and tied him all up.

“I heard he died though, but not sure about it. Another source said he’s in the hospital as those in the area didn’t allow SARS officials drop him when they noticed he was convulsing, so they took him to a private hospital.”

More tension in Ondo as SARS operative allegedly kills man

In a similarly gruesome occurrence, operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) in Ondo State, Nigeria, allegedly killed a man, Seun Ayoade who died under suspicious circumstances in a detention facility in Akure, the state capital.

According to reports, the officers, led by Inspector Oladele Ojelabi arrested the victim as well as others on Tuesday October 17, 2017.

This was perceived as an act of intimidation by Ojelabi who had displayed a lustful interest in the wife of the deceased identified as Mrs. Gbemisola Okoro.

The latter who is also a police officer had repeatedly turned down the advances of the inspector, insisting that she was married with children. But this only encouraged a determined Ojelabi to take drastic measures.

 

Through an act of bullying, Ademilola, a hairdresser apprehended at her shop in Oke-Aro, located in Ondo, led the SARS operatives to the resident of Okoro and the deceased.

In a chat with the Daily Post News, she insisted the policemen failed to state her offence yet she  found herself at the state police command in Akure.

“The SARS officers didn’t release me until 8am the following day but refused to release others.

“As I was trying to secure their release, I met Inspector Ojelabi who promised to help me and had sexual intercourse with me,” Ademilola told the Daily Post News of her encounter.

Mr. Femi Joseph, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) for the Ondo State Command confirmed the reports concerning the incident. This was following pressures from the family of the deceased who urged the state commissioner to look into the matter.

The PPRO maintained that the officer concerned is still only a suspect until proven guilty. He assured that the police inspector will face penalties if found guilty of the allegations.

Protests against SARS

Meanwhile, in Lagos, Abuja and Warri, protesters have taken to the streets to state their concern over the excesses of some officers of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad.

ALSO READ: 'Those who call for scrapping of SARS are armed robbers' - Force PPRO

The marchers carried placards with various disapproving inscriptions that expresses dissatisfaction over the abusive behaviour of SARS operatives who have appeared in online videos where they were seen assaulting civilians.

 

This factor has led the public to lose faith in the existence of the anti-crime unit, a reason why there has been a nationwide campaign calling for it to be scrapped.