Connect with us

Lifestyle

CSOs Demand Disbandment Of Police’s Extra-Legal Squads, Say They Are Used To Assault, Steal From Nigerians

Published

on

They noted that, before the creation of the extra-legal departments, there were and are still in existence, traditional departments and units recognised under the Police Act.

A coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) has called for the disbandment of extra-legal departments of the Nigeria Police Force such as the Special Tactic Squad, Intelligence Response Squad and several Inspector General of Police Monitoring units.

In a statement jointly signed by Kemi Okenyodo, Partners West Africa; Victoria Ibezim-Ohaeri, Spaces for Change; Z.O. Senbanjo, Confluence of Rights Nigeria; and Okechukwu Nwanguma, Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre, the CSOs questioned if there was any legal grounds for the creation of such extra departments.

They noted that, before the creation of the extra-legal departments, there were and are still in existence, traditional departments and units recognised under the Police Act that carry out operational duties within the police.

The organisations highlighted the Anti-robbery units which handle armed robbery cases and other violent crimes; the homicide unit was also identified as handling murder and manslaughter cases while the X-Squad monitors police conduct, among other roles.

The CSOs argued that the above-mentioned police units have been performing their roles as expected, stressing that they can perform better if the force can be provided with the required funds, equipment, and training.

They also pointed out that there have been allegations of violations of human rights violations and extrajudicial killings by officers of such extra-legal, especially the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), a defunct unit of the Nigeria Police with a long record of abuses.

The unit was disbanded last year after protests were held in some states to demand its disbandment.

It was later replaced with the Special Weapons and Tactics Team (SWAT).

The statement released by the CSOs read, “By way of introduction, please, permit us to post the following posers: Is there any necessity or justification for the creation of special units like SARS, STS, IRT and IGP Monitoring units by the IGP? Does the IGP even have the powers to do so?

“Before creating multiples of the so-called specialised units became rampant and widespread, we had and still have the traditional departments and units recognised under the Police Act that carries out intelligence, investigative, monitoring, training, planning, research and statistics as well as other operational duties within the police.

“The Anti-robbery units at the state and other command levels handle armed robbery cases and other violent crimes. The homicide unit handles murder and manslaughter cases. The X-Squad monitors police conduct, etc.”

“It has turned out that over the years, Police authorities use the so-called specialised units for special self-serving purposes. They use wrongful and brutal methods of ‘law enforcement’ and engage in extortion and outright robbery. Some IGPs have been reported to get returns and shares from the proceeds of the criminal activities of the commanders and operatives of these rogue units.

“Research by Action Group on Free Civic Space, a coalition of non-state actors on civic space, has revealed that Anambra and Enugu State SARS were supplying cadavers to teaching hospitals in exchange for money.

“There are also repeated allegations by victims, relatives of victims and survivors of Awkuzu SARS that the operatives may also have been dealing in body parts trading with some (obviously) depraved men of means, with all the trappings of savagery and criminality.

“This suspicion is strengthened by the fact that in many cases, the dead bodies of victims of extrajudicial killings are never seen by or released to their relatives even when they request for them for decent burial. The operatives flagrantly disobey court orders to produce detained or disappeared persons.

“The Nigeria Police should disband these suspiciously privileged extra-legal units and allow the Nigeria Police Force return to the legally recognised departments and units, thereby making this quintessential establishment live up to its true bidding as civil force created by law.

“It must stay and remain within its legal precincts for it to be seen as lawfully discharging its responsibilities under constitutional governance, thus, earning the respect and admiration of Nigerians whose lives and property it is primarily created to preserve,” it added

Culled from the Sahara Reporters

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Lifestyle

Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired

Published

on

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.

In the suit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, Emilio Garcia said that after a night out in 2022 in Ibiza, Spain, he was in an SUV with the hip-hop star when she began having sex with another woman right next to him. He was unable to get out of the moving car, and would have been in the middle of nowhere in a foreign country even if he was able. Garcia was “embarrassed, mortified and offended throughout the whole ordeal,” according to the lawsuit.

Alex Spiro, Megan’s lawyer, said she would fight the lawsuit in court.

“This is an employment claim for money — with no sexual harassment claim filed and with salacious accusations to attempt to embarrass her,” Spiro said.

The next day Megan told Garcia never to discuss what he saw and berated and fat-shamed him, the lawsuit said. The complaint also said Garcia, who had already considered quitting because he was overworked and underpaid in a hostile work environment aggravated by Megan’s possessiveness and abusiveness, was misclassified as an independent contractor but treated as an exclusive employee.

Garcia raised those issues in the conversation with Megan, and was fired the following day after four years of working for her, the suit said. He has since filed a job discrimination complaint with the California Civil Rights Department.

The lawsuit, first reported by NBC News, names as defendants Megan, whose legal name is Megan Pete; her companies Megan Thee Stallion Entertainment and Hot Girl Touring; and her label, Roc Nation. A defense response has yet to be filed. There was no immediate response to an email seeking comment from a representative of Roc Nation.

Garcia is seeking financial damages to be determined at trial, alleging he has suffered severely both emotionally and physically because of his treatment on the job, the firing and having to witness the scene in the SUV.

Megan, 29, was previously involved in major legal drama — and underwent a torrent of online abuse — as the victim of a shooting by rapper Tory Lanez, who a jury found fired at her feet on a street in the Hollywood Hills in 2020. She testified at the trial where jurors convicted Lanez of three felonies and a judge sentenced him to 10 years in prison.

Already a major rising artist at the time of the shooting, Megan has since become one of hip-hop’s biggest stars. She won a Grammy for best new artist in 2021, and she had No. 1 singles with “Savage,” featuring Beyoncé, and as a guest on Cardi B’s “WAP.”

Continue Reading

Lifestyle

Body of O.J. Simpson to be cremated this week; brain will not be studied for CTE

Published

on

April 15 (UPI) — The body of O.J. Simpson, who died last week at the age of 76, is to be cremated, a lawyer representing the ex-football superstar’s estate said, adding his brain will not be donated for research.

Malcolm LaVergne, Simpson’s longtime attorney and executor, told the New York Post that his client’s body is to be cremated Tuesday in Las Vegas.

He said Simpson’s family also gave a “hard no” to scientists seeking to examine the former running back’s brain for chronic traumatic encephalopathy, which is better known as CTE.

CTE is a rare and little understood brain disorder that is likely caused by repeated blows to the head. According to the Mayo Clinic, CTE results in the death of nerve cells in the brain and the only way to definitively diagnose it is with an autopsy of the organ after death.

Memory and thinking problems, confusion, personality changes and erratic behavior, including aggression, depression and suicidal ideation, are among CTE’s symptoms, the Alzheimer’s Association said.

The disease has been found in those who play contact sports, including football and hockey.

LaVergne confirmed to NBC News on Sunday that at least one person has called seeking Simpson’s brain.

“His entire body, including his brain, will be cremated,” he said.

Simpson died Wednesday following a battle with cancer.

Known by the nickname “The Juice,” Simpson was a NFL superstar during the 1970s, which made him a household name that propelled him into film and television during the next decade.

But his stardom would come crashing down in the mid-1990s when he was accused of killing his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman.

His high-profile trial lasted months, but ended with his acquittal.

In 2008, he was found guilty on a dozen charges, including kidnapping and armed robbery, and was paroled in 2017 after serving nine years of his 33-year sentence.

Continue Reading

Houston

Houston’s Urban South Brewery Celebrates Fourth Anniversary

Published

on

Urban South Brewery Houston will host its upcoming Anniversary Party from Friday, April 5 through Sunday, April 7, in the HTX Taproom, starting at 11 AM, celebrating four years of crafting exceptional brews and fostering community culture. This milestone event will be an exciting day featuring live music, food, activities, and a vendor market.

Beer enthusiasts are also in for a treat with the release of four exclusive anniversary specialty beers. Highlights include “Press Start,” a crafted Czech Pale Lager brewed in collaboration with Parleaux Beer Lab. Additionally, beer fans can indulge in “Level Up,” an Old-Fashioned Cocktail Sour Ale infused with orange peel, Luxardo cherry syrup, and subtle bourbon barrel notes. The offerings continue with “High Score,” a robust Double IPA bursting with flavors of Mosaic, Citra, and Chinook hops, and “Game Over,” a decadent Neapolitan Ice Cream Stout layered with strawberry fruit, Tahitian vanilla bean, and milk chocolate.

To make the celebration even more memorable, fans can pre-order an Exclusive 8-Bit Beer Box featuring the four-anniversary specialty beers (Press Start, Level Up, High Score, Game Over), a 16oz can-shaped Silipint with discounted refills, and 2 tokens redeemable for draft beer.

The Anniversary Party is open to the public, welcoming families and furry friends. Urban South Brewery invites everyone to join in the festivities and toast to four years of brewing excellence.

For more information on Urban South’s Anniversary Celebration, follow the Houston taproom on Instagram and Facebook.

Continue Reading

Trending