The Attorney-General of the Federation Abubakar Malami has said there is not sufficient evidence to prosecute the 33 operatives of the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) indicted in last year’s report of a presidential investigative panel.
Having established this, Mr. Malami therefore, directed the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Mohammed Adamu, to set up “a special investigation team” to conduct “thorough investigation” into the cases.
The report indicted 35 police operatives in 12 states and the federal capital territory for various rights violations including extrajudicial killing, death in police custody, unlawful arrest, biased investigation, unlawful intimidation, harassment, criminal assault, torture, cruelty, inhuman and degrading treatment, threat to life, extortion and confiscation of property, among others.
Thirty-three (33) others were recommended for prosecution, and punishment, including sanctions like reduction in rank and dismissal.
It also recommended that 57 victims be paid about N249million as compensation while the police should tender public apologies.