Article Link: https://www.africanews.com/2020/10/09/nigerian-special-police-force-still-struggles-with-abuse-reports/
The Nigerian Inspector General of Police, Muhammad Adamu, has recently forbidden stop-and-search, mounting of roadblocks, and traffic checks after numerous reports of misconduct, torture, and extortion by police officers.
The unit most at fault for this corruption is called the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad, known as SARS. SARS was initially started to decrease the frequent robberies and general insecurity in Nigeria, but has since become a way for officers to work their way up in the government, and ultimately to make more money.
SARS officers have been accused of many human rights violations in the past years, including unlawful investigations and arrests, torture, and executions. They are known to target young men, who are often arrested and never seen again.
Though this declaration by the IGP may seem promising, many declarations like this have been made in the past, only to be disregarded. It seems that the issue lies in the general corruption of the Nigerian government, and a lack of the principle of “rule of law,” which implies that every citizen (police included) is subject to the law. The torture used by SARS is also widely used by the Nigerian government.
Nevertheless, I believe that this new pledge towards instilling discipline and integrity in the police force is a step in the right direction and shows the government’s dedication towards ending this vicious cycle of torture, injustice, and corruption.
These injustices committed by the Nigerian government connect to the class through the way in which they undermine democratic principles. The presence of torture and corruption in the Nigerian government connects to their low score on the democracy index, which defines them as a hybrid regime. Corruption in the government gives Nigeria a low score in the “functioning government” category, while the use of torture by both the state and SARS gives them a lower score in the “civil liberties” category. These threats to democracy combined with pressure to vote a certain way (due to the terrorist group Boko Haram) severely curtail rights and freedom that should be present in a democracy.
If Nigeria were to carry through with their promises to hold SARS officers accountable for their actions, much progress would be made in improving the quality of life for their citizens as well as advancing their democracy.