President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed regrets over the alleged killing of Kolade Johnson in Mangoro area of the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway on Sunday by operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) in the Lagos State Police Command.
The president while commiserating with the family of the deceased, acknowledged the “genuine” outrage regarding the activities of SARS and reassured the public that swift actions had already been taken.
In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, Buhari said the suspects in the killing of Johnson were already in custody and an orderly room trial was set to commence immediately.
He said indicted officers would be prosecuted in court.
“Government will not tolerate in any way the brutalisation of Nigerians or the violation of their rights. Any officer of the law enforcement agencies or any other government functionary caught in this act will certainly be visited with the full weight of the law,” the president vowed.
Recall that following directives from the Presidency in 2018 to overhaul the management and activities of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, steps were taken by the Police leadership to restructure and reform SARS.
The President said the government had recognised that a lot more remained to be done and the effort must be sustained.
He reassured that his administration would continue to ensure that all officers in the Police and other law enforcement agencies conducted their operations in strict adherence to the rule of law and with due regard to International Human Rights and Humanitarian Law.
