BY SUNNY DAVID
The governor of Anambra state, Chief Willie Obiano, on Thursday, agreed to sack the former Officer-in-Charge of defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Mr. James Nwafor, currently working as Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on security to the governor.
Mr. Nwafor, appointed as SSA to Obiano on security since retirement, was in charge of SARS in 2012 when over 40 corpses whose identities remained unknown till date were dumped at Ezu Rivers, a boundary between Anambra and Enugu states.
The over 1000 protesters, who spent a night at the front gate of Government House denying commuters access to the Enugu/Onitsha Expressway from Wednesday to the time of filing this report.
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They urged the governor to terminate appointment of Nwafor, move for probe of Awkzu SARS bosses over alleged extrajudicial killings and abuse of human rights.
Others were constitution of an investigative panel into SARS activities in Anambra state since 1992, payment of compensation to victims of SARS, Special Police Anti-cult (SPACS) and other police brutality, investigation into Enugu-Ukwu and Neni SARS offices, release of innocent youths in the SARS, a stop of police search of phones and extortions.
“I have heard your demands. Some of them have already been done like issues of end SARS. About terminating appointment of Mr. James Nwafor I appointed as my SSA on security, consider it done. On investigation into activities of SARS, SPACS and other police units, it will be looked into,” the governor stated.
Governor Obiano while commending their peaceful conduct, said the state commissioner for justice and attorney general of the state and other key stakeholders would find ways of constituting the panel of inquiry to look into alleged rights abuses, brutality and others done by SARS, identification of victims of police and SARS brutality and payment of compensation to them, among others.
However, despite the governor’s assurance, the protesters denied his convoy access to the expressway as he tried to drive to the popular Aroma junction, and other spots where the same protest was ongoing to equally address them to make way for commuters.
As a result, Governor Obiano drove back to his office as at press time, while the protest continues to other parts of the state
