SAN FRANCISCO, October 30, (THEWILL) – The UK government has admitted its links with the disbanded Nigerian police unit, Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS).
British Minister for Africa, James Duddridge in a letter to MP Ofunne Kate Osamor admitted the UK government provided training and equipment to SARS.
Duddridge admitted British officials had trained SARS officers between 2016 and 2020. He said SARS officers had participated in training designed to improve human rights, training on public finance, and community policing workshops. He also confirmed radio equipment was given to Nigerian police which was then used by SARS.
A member of the British parliament, Ms. Kate Osamor, representing Edmonton has written to question and seek clarification on the nature of aid the government of UK through the office of the Secretary of State, Foreign Affairs extends to the disbanded SARS.
The letter written on October 15 and personally signed by Osamor called the attention of the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, Mr. Dominic Raab to the nationwide protests against the excesses of SARS. She warned that further assistance be withheld and also called for an audit of what the previous aids were used for so that the UK government agency would not be unintentionally supporting or facilitating the actions of an agency notorious for human rights violations.
Osamor’s letter cited that there have been 82 proven and documented incidents of torture, ill-treatment, extrajudicial executions and gross human rights abuses against SARS since January 2017 and cautioned it would be unthinkable that UK agency gives support to such body unless for training on proper conduct that respects human rights.
Duddridge initially claimed in a letter to the Labour MP dated 19th October that the Foreign Office does not provide and has not provided any support or training to SARS units or officers .
However, in his reply on 29 October, Duddridge admitted UK training was given to SARS through the Foreign Office’s Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF). The Conservative MP said he had asked officials to go back and make a deep dive in funding streams.
The training, Duddridge said “was in support of our wider objectives to strengthen the capability, accountability and responsiveness of the Nigerian Police Force.”
MP Osamor said she had been told categorically by the Minister earlier this month that no funding ever made its way to SARS units. “The government has now been forced to admit that it not only spent millions training SARS but also directly supplied them with equipment”, she added.
She further asked the UK government to explain” how and why it ever felt it was appropriate to train and equip security forces which were known to have taken part in torture and extra-judicial killings.”
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