By John Silas
High Chief Chika Nwokedi, President of Igboburuotu Social Club of Nigeria, a social cultural organization cum Non Governmental Organisation (NGO) has blamed police authorities whose lack of leadership brought rot in the defunct Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS).
He maintained that those who superintended the affairs of that arm of the force should have called their personnel to order especially when there was public outcry against them.
Chief Nwokedi took the position at the monthly meeting of Igboburuotu at Ijegun, Lagos on Saturday.
Heading a group that has helped the police, and people who do not have helpers, Nwokedi advised the government on what to do to bring sanity to the nation’s security architecture.
Speaking on #EndSARS protest he said “I have said I would not say something about SARS, but I will say it now. I have helped the police a lot, I have given more than 1000 tyres to police, I have given revolving light more than fifty to police, each one is N120,000. I have given security torch more than 2000 in Nigeria, Umuahi, Enugu, Anambra, and Abuja, I have given sockets, more that 500 to police, why because the police helped me when I came to Lagos.
“But now they are talking about EndSARS, let us say the truth for once, end SARS for what? Those SARS they are condemning, they have commanders, they have CP, There are three DCs for each state and they see the way they dressed, they see the way they were behaving, who will you hold? Let us say the truth.
“There was SARS in every state in this Nigeria, and those superior always see their dressing, see how they put earrings, dress like touts, what of the CP of that state, the DC? Every state has three DCs, they were seeing them.
“If I am the Head of State, I will hold their superior not the boys because they know what they are doing. Before my child leaves the house I will know how he dressed. I will know the kind of clothes that he put on, if I don’t like it I will say go and change it, because if he goes out people will say this is his son or daughter and that I cannot keep my daughter or son very well, that is how it is.”
Nwokedi spoke on what should be done to sanitize the force “Thank God that they have ended SARS but believe me, the best criminal is still worse than a bad SARS, for that SARS, they have those that are doing the work very well; they have bad eggs. I cannot because of three eggs are not good and throw away the remaining 27, because every crate of egg is 30, and because 4 or 5 is not good I throw away the entire crate, no. I will choose the 25 or 26 that are good and throw away the bad ones.”
He advised that police authorities should embark on reforms that would bring about freshness to the force. “They know those that are not good because even my brothers SARS have dealt with them seriously. One of my brothers paid N500,000 from POS in Benin, he is here, otherwise they would take him into the bush. But what I am saying is that you cannot throw away the entire personnel, there are good ones,” he advised.
