Our ordeal with SARS – Nigerians

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Nigerians have continued to recount their ordeals with men of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad ( SARS ), as the campaign for the dismantling of the security unit continues.

The mainly online campaign with the hashtag #EndSARS followed widespread allegations of corruption and inhuman treatment of citizens by the special police squad.

The victims said their experience with the police unit has been bad and called for termination of their activities.

Mr. Elijah Balogun relates his experience in a tweet.

“SARS stopped the Uber cab my friend and I were riding in April this year.

” Told us to come down. Started asking for our phones and threatened to take my friend away because he has beard and looks like a G boy.

“Last last, they begged us to drop ‘something’. #EndSARS”, he tweeted.

While relating his experience, a blogger who identified himself as Ladi, said he was threatened while attending a conference.

“This fateful day just last week or thereabouts, I was to attend the Lagos Digital Summit

“I took a Taxify from the office to the venue” and met them around Sheraton Link Road.

“They stopped the cab and asked me to come down.

“Asked me to identify myself which I did and they asked for my ID Card and Complimentary Card which were unavailable.

“They threatened to arrest me but my saving grace was because my mum was in the Police before she passed on so as they were threatening me to settle them if I don’t have a ID, I was also threatening them with dismissal via a secret camera which was live and on me.

“After about 3 hours, I was allowed to go but not without calling my Uncle who is a commodore in the Nigerian Navy”, he said.

In a similar experience, a Digital Marketer who pleaded anonymity narrated how he and his friend was extorted earlier this year.

“The way they even stop you ehn…. They wouldn’t even show you any form of identification…..

“One of my experience was earlier this year when I and a friend went to withdraw money at an ATM.

Next thing, we just started hearing “sssss, sssss”… We initially ignored.

They then parked one small danfo bus beside us and said… “Una no hear say na una we dey call abi?”

“I was like, “We didn’t know it was us”. Next thing was.. oya open that bag and bring out all the drugs there…

“Ahhh!” was what first came out from my mouth. The guy was now like, “Is that not what all you these youths of nowadays are doing? Carrying drugs and doing yahoo”

“I just giggled and we gave them our bags to check. After checking and not seeing anything, he asked for our phones. I didn’t take my phone out that day but they checked my friend’s phone and after not seeing anything, they said we should find something for them.

“To avoid stories that touch, we sha gave them 500 naira each oooo”.

Another victim, a student of the University of Ibadan, who identified himself as Sunday, said he was beaten by SARS officers for a crime he knew nothing about.

“Early in the morning while I was still sleeping, SARS officers broke into my house, I was beaten, molested and arrested because someone in my neighbourhood allegedly committed a crime.
“I spent twelve days in their custody and released after paying a huge sum”, he said.
Nkyjoye, an alumnus of the University of Benin, also narrated his encounter with SARS officers.
“I had same experience in 2011 when I was in UNIBEN. I went out with my friends.
“About 10pm on our way home,they stopped our car, asked my friend who was driving to unlock his phone, and he refused.
“So they took us to the station and laid allegations that we were kidnappers.
“We slept in their station and the next day was an environmental. It was crazy”.