LUCKY LAWAL
The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Imohimi Edgal, has ordered operatives of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS) to restrict themselves to handling violent crimes like armed robbery and kidnapping.
Edgal gave the warning during a lecture held for SARS personnel on Thursday at the Police Officers Wives Association (POWA)Secretariat, Oduduwa Street, GRA, Ikeja, Lagos.
This is sequel to the recent directive by the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim K. Idris, that FSARS personnel must restrict their role to the handling of violent crimes like armed robbery and kidnapping and that they must dress in police uniforms while carrying out their functions and not muftis as was the case in the past.
The lecture was to ensure strict adherence and compliance with the directive of the IGP. At the lecture were men and officers of the Anti-Cultism and Anti Kidnapping units.
CP Edgal warned the men and officers never to operate in commercial vehicles. He also urged members of the public to alert the police leadership anytime they saw people in muftis or inside a commercial vehicle operating or claiming to be FSARS operatives.
He said that it was no longer acceptable for FSARS personnel to operate in any other type of clothes except the full police uniform.
The CP also used the opportunity to call the attention of residents of Agungi, in the Lekki-Ajah area of Lagos, to be on the lookout for a wine coloured bus with registration number EKY 841. The vehicle was said to be used by some men parading themselves as FSARS officials.
“We have sufficient grounds to believe that they are impostors” the police stated.
Meanwhile, in the last four days, the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the State Criminal Investigation And Intelligence Department (SCIID), Yaba, and the Deputy Commissioner of Police in Charge of Operations, based on Edgal’s instruction, have inspected the FSARS cells. Those detained for non-violent crimes have their cases reassigned to other investigation units at the SCIID. The CP directed that one other person allegedly involved in kidnapping be charged to court immediately.