• The problem is beyond the change of name

• Change of name is an insult to us all, he says

Senator Nicholas Tofowomo, representing Ondo South at the 9th Assembly, on Friday in Abuja, commended Nigerian youths for protesting the brutality of the notorious police unit known as SARS in recent days.

While commending the youths, the PDP Senator called on President Muhammadu Buhari administration to set up a judicial inquiry to probe the operation of SARS since inception to expose those officers that have killed innocent Nigerians illegally and prosecute them immediately.

Senator Tofowomo in a statement by his Media Aide, Akinrinlola Olumide, said the operatives of SARS have killed many innocent souls in Nigeria including his constituent, Mr Ogunwa Ololade, from Ode Aye in Okitipupa local government area of Ondo State who was killed while driving to office in Ibadan by SARS operatives who were shooting sporadically while chasing some internet fraudsters called yahoo boys on February 5, 2019.

The Senator described the renaming of Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) to Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) as an insult to Nigerians.

Tofowomo said the problem is beyond a mere change of name, describing Nigeria’s internal security as a mess.

”I commend Nigerian Youths for protesting the brutality of the notorious police unit known as SARS in recent days. While I stand by the youths in protesting the continuous killing of innocent souls by security operatives especially men of the SARS unit, it is a slap on all of us – an insult to Nigerians the mere change of name from Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) to Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) by the Inspector General of Police.”

”I call on President Muhammadu Buhari led Federal Government to set up a judicial tribunal to probe the operation of SARS since inception to expose those officers that have killed illegally and prosecute them without delay.”

”The problem with the police system in Nigeria is beyond naming and renaming of a particular unit. Nigeria’s internal security is a total mess, ranging from overgrowing police brutality, impunity, human rights abuses, decaying infrastructures, poor funding, unabating official corruption, analogue policing, and many others that could not be over emphasized.”

”There is a need for police reform in Nigeria. The police system in Nigeria does not conform to contemporary society,” the Senator said.