"SARS IKEJA IS BACK-SETH AMAEFULE, LAGOS LAWYER CRIES OUT"

 A Lagos-based lawyer, Seth Amaefule has taken to social media to narrate his first hand reports of fresh cases of torture at SARS Ikeja, confirming that the scrapped Squad is alive and kicking .

Excerpts of his statement can be found below:

"THE NIGERIAN POLICE FORCE LAGOS STATE COMMAND STILL SUBJECTS DETAINEES TO TORTURE, ORDEAL, AND INHUMAN TREATMENT AT FORMER SARS TORTURE CENTRE, IKEJA*

*By Seth Amaefule, Esq.*

I went to visit a client detained at the former SARS Unit of the Lagos Police Headquarters Ikeja on Tuesday 15 June 2021. I was shocked when in my presence, a young man apparently in his early 20s who was said to have been arrested from Mushin area of Lagos in connection with alleged cult activities was being slapped brutishly with the flat side of a machete. The young man's cries and plea for mercy which brought tears to my eyes meant nothing to the about eight policemen and a woman  in the room. And whenever the young man, out of anguish tried to escape his torturer and got close to any of the other policemen or woman in the room, that one will deliver a resounding slap or a booth-kick on him. Once of twice, the torturer used the blunt edge of the machete to heat the victim on his back, extracting more screams of pain and anguish . 

Apparently becoming uncomfortable with my presence knowing that I am a lawyer, one of the policemen asked me to leave. This coincided with the bringing out from the cell of my client whom I came to see, so I left to speak with my client.

Two other things stood out from my observation:

1.  The same old SARS are still there and carrying on as if they have a licence to torture detainees to death. All that was removed from them was their name and black jacket emblazoned SARS. Their killer mentality, their scorn for human right, their lack of civility, and their disdain for law generally are all still intact. Nothing was done to reform them even a bit.

2.  They openly expressed heavy resentment against the public for prosecuting the #EndSARS Protest which caused SARS to be disbanded.   One even held it against lawyers who he claimed always peach human rights.

The #EndSARS protest achieve nothing and the lives lost were in vain. SARS with their mentality is still alive and well in the Lagos State Police Command

*Seth Amaefule, Esq.*

*16 June 2021*