Special Anti-Robbery Squad

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Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) was a unit of the Nigerian Police Force created in 1992 to fight violent crime such as armed robbery, car theft, kidnapping, and gun crimes. It was part of the Force Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (FCIID). SARS started with a small team and operated mainly in Lagos, but grew over the years.

SARS became infamous for human rights abuses. Reports described extrajudicial killings, torture, extortion, false arrests, and other violations. There were many accusations of abuse against young people, especially those with certain appearances or behaviors. Over time, SARS was blamed for widespread brutality and secrecy in how it worked.

Several high-profile incidents and reports drew national and international attention. In 2010 Amnesty International highlighted abuses by SARS, and in 2019 and 2020 there were numerous cases of killings and ill-treatment that sparked outrage. A major online campaign, #EndSARS, began in 2017 and grew into large street protests across Nigeria in 2019 and 2020.

In response to growing pressure, the government announced reforms. In August 2018, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo ordered an overhaul of SARS. In January 2019, police leaders said SARS would be decentralised so state police chiefs would have more control. Despite these promises, protests continued.

The protests intensified in October 2020 after a SARS officer shot a young man in Delta State and video evidence circulated widely. On October 11, 2020, the Inspector General of Police announced the disbandment of SARS and said a new unit would replace it. The new unit was named Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT). People hoped reforms would follow, but many remained wary.

To investigate abuses, Nigeria’s government ordered states to set up judicial panels of inquiry to look into police brutality and killings. However, the police later challenged these panels in court, and the future of the panels was uncertain.

In late 2020, President Muhammadu Buhari confirmed that SARS had been dismantled and said some officers would be prosecuted for extortion, rape, and murder. The EndSARS movement continued to push for real changes in how the police operate.