President Buhari, Middle, VP Yemi Osinbajo, right and IGP Mohammed Adamu at the meeting with Buhari athe Presidential Villa on Friday night
By Ayo Kehinde
Following the uproar across most states in the country over the observed excesses of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, despite the swift response to reform and restore order by the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday night met the IGP and appealed for calm.
#EndSARSNow protest had turned violent in Ughelli, where the shooting of a young man by men of the SARS during the week triggered the current round of protest, and in Osun and Lagos where the protest had been sustained for the past two days prompting the Deputy Governor, Obafemi Hamzat to mount the rostrum in Alausa on Friday, to plead with protesters to remain calm and await the reform as promised by the police authorities.
In a tweet after the meeting in the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Buhari said the time has come for the police to be accountable to the Nigerian people and appealed for calm among rioting Nigerians.
He said in the tweet; “I met again with the IGP tonight. Our determination to reform the police should never be in doubt. I am being briefed regularly on the reform efforts ongoing to end police brutality and unethical conduct, and ensure that the Police are fully accountable to the people.
“The IG already has my firm instructions to conclusively address the concerns of Nigerians regarding these excesses, & ensure erring personnel are brought to justice. I appeal for patience & calm, even as Nigerians freely exercise their right to peacefully make their views known.
“The vast majority of men and women of the Nigeria Police Force are patriotic and committed to protecting the lives and livelihoods of Nigerians, and we will continue to support them to do their job.”
