A retired police officer Fulani Kwajafa, who championed the formation of SARS has disclosed that he regrets being a part of the now-dissolved unit’s creation.
Elder Kwajafa who disclosed this during an interview with BBC Hausa Service Thursday programme confirmed that the now-disbanded police formation had indeed derailed from the purpose of its creation.
According to him, SARS came into existence when the former military head of state Muhammadu Buhari directed the then Inspector-General of Police, Etim Inyang, to devise an efficient strategy of ending the ugly trend of armed-robbery incidents in Nigeria at the time.
“The IGP called me that we should do something to save the country from armed robbery incidents; I accepted the offer and requested for time and materials. I then mobilised personnel for the task,” Mr Kwajafa recounted.
“Four months after the formation of SARS in 1984, the unit flushed out the criminals and there was peace all over following the successful operation,” he said.
The retired police officer who said he was disturbed by stories of harassment and extrajudicial killings by the disbanded SARS operatives, noted that he regretted being a champion for the unit’s creation.
“The stories I am hearing about the activities of SARS is damaging; I ruled that even among the SARS there are armed robbers,” Mr Kwajafa said.
“This is not the SARS we formed in the 80s, I use to be ashamed that I am the person that created the SARS because of their activities, had it been I knew such things will happen, I could not have created the unit, Mr Kwajafa added.
