The Enugu State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Ahmad Abdurrahman, on Monday disclosed that no suspect is currently in the detention facility of the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, in the State.
DAILY POST reports that he spoke when Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State visited the defunct SARS office in Enugu to confirm compliance with the closure directive.
Gov. Ugwuanyi, who was accompanied by the State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Miletus Eze and his Information counterpart, Nnanyelugo Chidi Aroh, was received by Abdurrahman, who took him round the facilities, including the empty cells.
The Commissioner of Police confirmed to the governor, who he described as “the most-friendly and security-disposed governor” that the SARS unit has been closed accordingly.
The Police Chief said prior to the order disbanding the SARS operatives, there were 11 suspects in their detention facility located within the Enugu State capital.
“Today, we don’t have SARS in Enugu; the Chief Detective of the State, a Deputy Commissioner of Police has taken over the cases;
“By the day that the unit was disbanded, they had 11 suspects, out of the 11, one was based on court order, while 10 are being investigated.
“The one that was on court order, we returned him to court and he has been taken to Correctional Centre, then the 10, five of them have been taken to court this morning and the remaining 5, investigation of their cases is still pending. It is investigated by men of the State Criminal Investigation Department.
“Having said this, I want to reiterate that there is now an empty cell here; the unit is no more,” he disclosed.
In his remark, the State Attorney General, Mr. Eze disclosed that the Judicial Panel of Inquiry recently constituted by Gov. Ugwuanyi to investigate complaints of police brutality or related extrajudicial killings, as demanded by the protesters, will be inaugurated on Wednesday.
Earlier in the day, Gov. Ugwuanyi also visited the ailing first Republic Minister and prominent Igbo chieftain, Chief Mbazulike Amaechi, who is in a hospital in Enugu and wished him quick recovery.
